Varsity The Hornets finished regular season play with a matchup vs. OPRF in the Western Suburban Crossover game. Both teams won their divisions with the Hornets having a 10-2 record in conference and OPRF being a perfect 12-0. The first place matchup was close throughout. Both teams came out shooting the ball well in the first half and the Huskies took a 2 point lead into the half. Zion Griffin scored 14 of his 20 points in the first half. A defensive battle broke out in the second half and a wild finish saw OPRF give the Hornets their first loss of the season in the Hornets Nest. The Hornets finished the regular season with a 20-6 record.
Sophomore The final game of the season has Oak Park River Forest travel to hinsdale south for the conference cross over game. The Hornets took an early lead and maintained that lead all throughout the first half. To start the second half OPRF went on a run to take the lead with their pressing defense and 3 point shooting. The Hornets could get the lead down only to 5 but ultimately lost by 12. OPRF 62 Hinsdale South 50. James Ruzicka had 23 and Daeshawn Amy had 12 points.
Freshman A The Hornets concluded their season with a week that consisted of 4 basketball games. The first was on Tuesday at home in the conference crossover matchup versus Oak Park-River Forest High School. OPRF is coming into the game with less than 5 losses on the season. The game started off with the Hornets pulling out in front early, led by Jaylon Smith getting to the basket on the offensive end. But the quick scoring of OPRF would be too much for the Hornets to handle. With their great transition offense creating turnovers into points, OPRF would go on to win the game by a final score of Hinsdale South 42, OPRF 60.
On Thursday the Hornets traveled to Wheaton North High School to compete in the annual end of the season tournament. The Hornets first game would be versus a very powerful and deep Wheaton Warrenville South team. For the tournament, the Hornets brought back down freshman Ahmad Tims from the sophomore team. The Hornets would have trouble getting scoring on the offensive end all season versus 1-2-2 zones, and tonight would be no different even with the addition of Tims to the roster. The Hornets were held to only 3 points in the first quarter, and only 9 in the half. After halftime the scoring troubles on the offensive end would ease a bit, but the damage was too much. Hinsdale South ended up losing their second straight game by a final score of Hinsdale South 27, Wheaton Warrenville 47.
On Saturday, the Hornets had a double-header to conclude their season. The first game was in the consolation bracket of the tournament versus Benet. Benet is known for their exceptional deep shooting range. Hinsdale had a defensive game plan in place, and managed to execute early. Turning defensive stops into quick transition points, the Hornets were able to gain a 10 point lead going into halftime; yet this game would be long from over. Late in the fourth quarter the game was tied with 12 seconds left on the clock. The Hornets got called on a traveling violation bringing the ball up the court at the half court line giving Benet time to get the last second shot. But with strong defense, the Hornets would manage to push the game into not one, but two overtimes. Due to a charging violation called on the Hornets late in the second OT, the Hornets for the first time in the season lost their third straight game by a final score of, South 47, Benet 52. Jaylon Smith and Domas Diceptris would lead all scoring for the Hornets.
The Hornets faced Elk Grove High School in their final regular season game. The Hornets would jump to an early lead, getting everyone involved including team manager, Tayshawn Amy. Amy would end the game with 6 total points off of two made three point baskets. The Hornets would be able to extend and maintain their lead the entire game. In the end the Hornets picked up the victory, 60-31. The Freshman A Hornets finished the season with an overall record of 18-2. Freshman B The hornets gave OPRF a tough game but lost down the stretch 50-40 on Tuesday night. Phil Choisser led the scoring with 18, followed by Jimmy Pacione with 11. The defense continues to force turnovers for the hornets but missed offensive opportunities ultimately decided the game. The b team is now 12-14 overall with the Wheaton Warrenville tournament coming up on Thursday.
The freshmen b hornets allowed only 36 pts but only scored 19 in their loss to Wheaton Warrenville south on Thursday night. The hornets continue to struggle against zone defenses, but continue to force multiple turnovers from their opponents. They are now 12-15 on the season with two more games coming up Saturday to end the campaign. The freshmen b hornets finished the season 1 and 2 in the Wheaton Warrenville tournament. First game on Saturday was a loss to Benet 57-39, and second was a win over Elk Grove 42-36. Therefore hinsdale south ended the season with a 13-17 overall record and went 8-4 in the West Suburban Gold. Good luck to all the players trying out next season and I will see you all in summer camp.
Week of February 12th
Varsity The Hornets came into their last week of conference play with a chance to make school history. Last year saw the Hornets win a share of 1st place for the first time since the creation of the Western Suburban Conference. Since the beginning of the year the players have been talking about repeating and they were up for the challenge this week. Wins over Addison Trail on senior night and Proviso East on hall of fame night resulted in an outright Western Suburban Conference Championship for the Hornets.
On Tuesday the Hornets played Addison Trail and were able to pull off a 43-33 victory. Ramon Norman, Robert Barnes and Zion Griffin were all able to score double digits to lead the Hornets to a victory over a team that had beat them earlier in the season. The win gave the Hornets at least a share of the conference title.
On Friday the Hornets needed a victory over Proviso East to lay claim to an outright title. The Hornets got off to a great start leading 20-6 at one point in the first quarter. The Pirates came storming back and took a 38-26 lead into halftime. The Hornets regrouped and outscored the Pirates 17-3 in the third quarter. Joe Mazzei ended the quarter with a 50 foot bank in 3 and the Hornets would never trail again. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 22 points and Ramon Norman and Robert Barnes each added 11. The Hornets out rebounded the Pirates 38-26 in the game. The Hornets celebrated their first ever outright Western Suburban Conference Championship after the game.
Sophomore The last week of the season would see the sophomore Hornets play 4 games to end their season. First the Hornets played Addison Trail. This game was all Hornets from the start. The Hornets played great defense, moved the ball well and hit the open shots. Hinsdale south 69 Addison Trail 29. Daeshawn Amy lead with the 20 points while Kyle Cattaneo had 16 points including four 3 pointers.
Next the Hornets faced off against Proviso East. The Hornets took a lead from the start of the game and never looked back. James Ruzicka lead the team in scoring with 22 points while Jason Williams scored 16. Hinsdale South 69 Proviso East 47
On the final Saturday of the season the Hornets faced off against St Francis High School. This was a back and forth game with both teams taking turns with the lead. Ultimately the Hornets pulled away in the end to win 61-58. Freshman A The Hornets had a busy 7 days competing in 3 games this week. The first game was on Tuesday versus Addison Trail high School. The game was fairly close throughout the first half, with Jaylon Smith And Domas Diceptris leading the hornets in points at halftime. The Hornets would start the third quarter with a lot of defensive pressure and energy, turning Addison Trail turnovers into points on the offensive end. The Hornets would go onto win the game by a final score of, 39-20. Keith Chatman added 5 points off the bench for the Hornets.
On Friday, the Hornets hosted the Proviso East Pirates. The Hornets would find their way up 22-10 at halftime. Jaylon Smith had 15 of the Hornet’s 22 points at halftime. The Pirates would come out of the half with energy on the offensive end, but the Hornets full court defensive pressure would be too much. The Hornets would end up winning the game by a final score of, 51-35. James Pacione received the call up from the Hornets B Team, contributing with a total of 9 points in the game.
On Saturday, the Hornets would have to travel to St. Francis for a 9am tip-off the following day. St. Francis would be a great matchup for the young Hornets. The exceptional shooting by Maurice Houston of the Hornets would help keep them in the game early. The Hornets managed to enter halftime by a lead of 16 points. The Hornets would not look back entering the second half either. Hinsdale South managed to hang onto the lead winning the game by a final score of, 55-42. Maurice Houston would finish the game with 18 points for the Hornets.
Freshman B The hinsdale South b team beat Addison Trail 33-22 on Tuesday night. Once again the hornets faced a zone and struggled at times, but were able to prevail by stealing the ball and scoring down the stretch. With a Proviso forfeit on Friday, the hornets will move to 12-12 overall and finish the season with an 8-4 conference record.
The freshman b team dropped one to St Francis on Saturday, 34-25. It was again a tough offensive day against a zone defense, but the hornets kept it close with their press until the end. They are now 12-13 on the season with the last regular season game coming up bs OPRF on Tuesday.
Week of February 5th
Varsity The Hornets were able to gain two great conference wins this weekend despite terrible weather outside. On Thursday the Hornets welcomed DGS to the Hornets Nest for another wild rivalry matchup between the two schools. Two large student sections came out to support the game on a snowy Thursday night. The Hornets struggled early in the game and fell behind by 10 points before getting everything together and dominating the 2nd half. The Hornets outscored the Mustangs 34 to 15 in the second half to gain a 53-39 conference victory. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 29 points and 7 rebounds. Ramon Norman was the other Hornet in double figures with 13 points but his 7 rebounds help set the tone and played a big part in a victory.
On Saturday the Hornets traveled to Leyden for a Key Saturday Conference game. The Hornets dominated the game from the start. The Hornets used a 26-4 run in the late first quarter early 2nd quarter to make the game out of reach for the Eagles. The hot shooting Hornets made six 3’s in the first half. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 21 points and Robert Barnes added 17 points.
The Hornets improved their overall record to 18-5 and 8-2 in WSC play.
Sophomore The Hornets played rival Downers Grove South . The Hornets came out hitting a lot of shots and took a 2 point half time lead. The 2nd half was all Hornets as Hinsdale South won 65-54.
For the last conference road game the Hornets traveled to Leyden to take on the eagles. The game started off slow with Leyden having a 5 point lead at half time. As the 2nd half started the Hornets picked up the intensity and started to hit shots. The Hornets got the lead and ultimately won 49-48.
Freshman A On Thursday, the Hinsdale South Freshman A Hornets faced off versus an undefeated WSG Downers Grove South Mustangs team. The game was exciting, along with the quality of basketball that was played. From the tip-off, both teams were highly competitive and showed it through their offensive execution, and ability to create mismatches for each team. Although the Mustangs were undefeated in the conference, regulation would not be enough to settle a winner and the game went into overtime. In overtime, the Hornets had a difficult time scoring, while the Mustangs were able to put up 4 overtime points. This would ultimately seal the DGS victory, 46-42. The Mustangs would end up taking first place in the WSG.
On Saturday, the Hornets found themselves on the road versus the Leyden Eagles, where they also would quickly find their backs against the wall as well. The Eagles came out of the game in the first quarter surging, making many contested mid-range jumpshots. In contrary, the Hornets could not seem to get things going on the offensive end. At halftime the Hornets would find themselves down 20 by a score of, 28-8. This would be one of the worst scoring halves of any game in the 2017-2018 season for the Hornets. The Eagles would continue much of what happened in the first half in the second. The early first quarter deficit would be too much for the Hornets ending with a loss by a final score of Leyden 52, Hinsdale South 26.
The Hornets are now 14-6 overall. The Hinsdale A Team will have their next conference game on Tuesday at home versus the Addison Trail Blazers, and Friday at home versus the Proviso East Pirates.
Freshman B The freshman b hornets lost a heartbreaker to DGS in Thursday 47-43. In a game where the lead changed several times, HSHS came up a little short when the mustangs scored with under 30 seconds left in the game. Phil Choisser came up big in this one, as well as Emmett Savage and jimmy Pacione. The hornets are now 9-10 overall and 6-3 in conference.
The freshman b hornets dropped to 10-12 on the season with a 48-38 loss to Leyden. Scoring was hard to come by once again as HSHS struggled against the 1-2-2 zone. The defensive forced turnovers were once again plentiful, however. The hornets are now 6-4 in conference.
Week of January 29th
Varsity The Hornets had a great week of conference games going 2-0. This week saw matchups vs. 2 teams sharing a 4 way tie with the Hornets at the top of conference play. The Hornets were able to win both games and take command of conference race.
On Tuesday the Hornets traveled to Morton to take on the always tough Mustangs. The Hornets coming off a 10 day break were a little sluggish early in the game but turned it on and won 63-45. Aaron Tims had a career high 14 points and Robert Barnes and Zion Griffin were also in double figures.
On Friday the Hornets played a Rivalry game vs. Willowbrook and a packed crowed witnessed a dominate performance by the Hornets. The Hornets extended a first half lead to double digits most of the second half. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with a career high 39 points and 17 rebounds.
The Hornets are now 16-5 overall and 6-2 in conference play.
Sophomore This week the Hornets continued their conference season with two games. In the first game the Hornets traveled to Morton High School. The game went back and forth and ultimately the Morton Mustangs pulled out the win 45-42. Bryan Johnson led the team with 16 points while Daeshawn Amy had 10 points. On Friday the Hornets hosted Willowbrook High School who was sitting in first place with a 6-1 record in conference. The Hornets had the lead for the first three quarters of the game. To start the 4th quarter the warriors went on a run to take a 5 point lead. The sophomore Hornets stayed together and kept fighting to get the lead back. After an exciting game the Hornets win 53-46. Bryan Johnson had 19 points, Jason Williams had 10 and James Ruzicka had 8 points.
Freshman A The Hornets traveled to Morton, home of the Mustangs on Tuesday, January 30 in a West Suburban Gold Conference matchup.
The Hornets started the game against the Mustangs struggling on the offensive end. As a result, the Mustangs pulled ahead at the end of the first half 31-9. But the second half would be nothing like the first. The Hornets came out of the halftime break filled with energy, and turning defensive stops into points on the offensive end. Jaylon Smith lead the Mustangs comeback with his scrappy defense, and long-range shooting. The Hornets were able to cut their early deficit to 10 points with 2 minutes left. Unfortunately, due to an offensive charge called on the Hornets late in the game, the Mustangs were able to seal the victory with a final score of, 37-47.
The Hornets also played host to the Willowbrook Warriors on Friday, February 2. The Hornets made a lineup change, giving Henry Johnson the start for the night. The Hornets offense and defensive full-court pressure were to much for the Warriors to handle. At the end of the first half, the Hornets had a double-digit lead. Michael Hoaltram would lead the Hornets in the first half with 8 points. The Hornets were able to increase their lead in the second half finishing the game with a final score of, Hinsdale South 55, Willowbrook Warriors 32. Michael Hoaltram finished with 14 points, along with Domas Diceptris with 12 points.
This win now pushes the Hornets record to 14-4 overall on the season. They will host Downers Grove South on Thursday, February 8 at 5pm in a West Suburban Gold first place conference matchup game.
Freshman B The hornets dropped their second conference game on Tuesday night to the Morton Mustangs 41-31. It was an ugly game overall, and the hornets managed to close the gap after being down 16 in the second half. Izzy Mojica and Max Nichols chipped in some late 3s to give the hornets a chance but it wasn’t enough. The freshmen b team is now 8-9 overall and 5-2 in the conference. The freshman b hornets dusted Willowbrook 58-37 on Friday night. The defense once again came up big and forced double digit turnovers. In this game post play was key as Emmett Savage scored 15. The hornets are now 9-9 overall and 6-2 in the conference.
Week of January 15th
Varsity The Hornets had two tough road games this weekend. On Friday the Hornets traveled to Proviso East who was in first place in WSC play. The Hornets dominated the game from the very beginning and left with a 60-49 victory. The Hornets handled the aggressive Proviso East press the entire game and used tough defense and rebounding to pull out the win. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 16 points and 15 rebounds.
On Saturday the Hornets had to travel to Addison Trail. The Hornets struggled from the beginning of the game to find their rhythm and fell 50-52 to the Trail Blazers. Addison Trail hit a game winning shot with 1.9 seconds left on the clock. Robert Barnes half court shot hit the front of the rim as time expired. The Hornets finished the weekend with a 14-5 record overall and 4-2 in conference.
Sophomore This week the Hornets played 2 conference games on the road. The Hornets traveled to Proviso East on Friday and Addison Trail on Saturday. After some close losses recently, the Hornets hung tough and went 2-0 this weekend. Hinsdale South set the tone early against the Pirates of Proviso East and took a 20 point lead early in the 2nd half. The Hornets never looked back and got a big win on the road. Hinsdale South 57 Proviso East 40. Bryan Johnson and Daeshawn Amy both had 15 points while James Ruzicka had 14 points.
The second game of the weekend was very similar to the one on Friday. Hinsdale South came out early again and took a big lead. The offense was clicking all first half with the Hornets having 48 points at halftime. The 2nd half continued the same way and the final score was Hinsdale South 73 Addison Trail 52. James Ruzicka led the Hornets with 27 points.
Freshman A The Freshman A Basketball Team traveled on the road on Friday to Proviso East High School, and Saturday to Addison Trail High School for two conference game matchups.
On Friday, the Hornets came out with a lot of energy versus Proviso East High School. In the first quarter the Hornets had some minor trouble breaking the scrappy Pirate half-court 1-2-2 trap defense. After some early timeouts called by Hinsdale, the team was able to make the necessary adjustments on the offensive end to take a commanding lead throughout the game. The Hornets battled fouled trouble the entire first half, allowing other role players to get big minutes. Contributions by Henry Johnson, Deontae Dixon II, and Keith Chatman were needed in the 47-34 victory over Proviso East High School. Jaylon Smith added a team high 14 points in the victory.
On Saturday, the young Hornet team went on the road to play Addison Trail High School. This would be the second time this season the two teams would match up.
The Hornets were in control of the game from the tip-off. The size, speed, and defensive pressure of Hinsdale South would be too much for the Blazers. After the first quarter, the Hornets had a double-digit lead, and were able to get many other role players valuable minutes throughout the contest. This game would also be the second night in a row team manager, Tayshawn Amy would make an appearance on the court. After an entire team effort the Hornets would go on to win the contest, 46-23.
These wins now bring the Freshman A Team’s overall record to 13-3, and 5-1 in the West Suburban Gold. The Freshman A Team will play their next game on Tuesday, January 30 at 4:15pm at Morton High School.
Freshman B The freshman b hornets defeated proviso east on their home court Friday night 41-39. It was a back and forth game all night that saw 3 players foul out and every timeout used, but ultimately HSHS was victorious. Pacione led the hornets in scoring with 12. The freshmen b team is now 7-8 overall and 4-1 in the west suburban gold conference.
The freshman b hornets clawed their way back to 500 on Saturday defeating Addison Trail convincingly 43-27. Phillip Choisser led the team with 11 and jimmy Pacione chipped in 7 in the win. The hinsdale south b team is now 8-8 overall with a conference record of 5-1.
Week of January 8th
Varsity The Hinsdale South boys basketball team had a great week getting two victories to improve their record to 13-4. The Hornets started off the week with a home game vs. the DeKalb Barbs. The first quarter saw a back and forth game, before the Hornets blew open the game. The Hornets took a 16 point lead into halftime and extended it to 20 early in the second half. South finished the game with a 63-39 non-conference win. Zion Griffin led all scorers with 19 points all in the first half.
On Friday Leyden came to the Hornets’ Nest for a WSC game. Leyden’s hot shooting saw them lead most of the first half before the Hornets were able to take control of the game in the second half. The Hornets made a season high 9 3’s in the game on 50% shooting from 3. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 28 points and 10 rebounds. Ramon Norman added 15 points with 5 3’s in the game. The win moved the Hornets to 4-1 in WSC play.
Sophomore This past week the Hornets faced off against Dekalb High School and Leyden High School. Both games were exciting and went back and forth between teams. In the end, the sophomore Hornets went 0-2 for the week losing to Dekalb in overtime and losing to Leyden by 1 point. Dekalb 54 Hinsdale South 44. Leyden 37 Hinsdale South 36. James Ruzicka led the Hornets with 16 points vs DeKalb and 13 points vs Leyden.
Freshman A The Hornets had a non-conference match-up with Dekalb High School on Tuesday, January, 9. This would be the last non-conference game scheduled for the Hornet Freshman this season.
The Hornets started the game slow on both offense and defense for the first half, putting them behind Dekalb 33-19 at halftime. The Hornets were lead by Jaylon Smith (8) & Michael Hoaltram (4) at halftime. The second half looked like a completely different Hornet team from what was seen in the first half. The Hornets picked up the tempo and intensity, and managed to hold Dekalb High School to only 9 second half points. Through lockdown defense, the Hornets were able to force overtime. Down 2 points in overtime, the Hornets looked to big man, Michael Hoaltram in the post. Michael was able to make a last second effort before making a contested layup, and taking the game into the second overtime. In double overtime the Horents had the ball with under ten seconds, in a tie game. Keith Chatman for the Hornets was able to get in position to get an offensive rebound and put the ball back into the basket before time ran out to give the Hornets the 2 point win in double overtime. The final score was Hinsdale South 49, Dekalb 47.
On Friday, January 12, the Hornets had their second game of the week in a conference matchup versus Leyden High School. Coming into the game, the Hornets were in second place in the conference with a record of 2-1.
The Hornets once again started the game out slow on the offensive end only putting up 8 first quarter points versus the Leyden 1-2-2 zone defense. After some minor adjustments, the Hornets were able to get the offense in rhythm and started to get easy baskets off the Leyden full court and half court pressure. The Hornets were able to gain the lead late in the second quarter, and increase on it throughout the contest. The Hornets would end up winning the game, 45-37. The Hornets are now 3-1 in conference and 12-3 overall. The Hornets will now play Friday versus Proviso East High School, and Saturday versus Addison Trail High School.
Freshman B The freshmen b hornets made it 6 out of their last 8 vs Dekalb on Tuesday night, winning 45-43. Mojica led the scoring with 19 and Pacione contributed 13 in the effort. After a slow start to the season the freshmen b team has caught fire with an overall record of 6-7 and 3-0 in conference play.
The freshmen b hornets fell to 6-8 on Friday night vs Leyden in a lie scoring game 35-33. The 1-2-2 press caused just enough problems early for hinsdale south so that the slow start ultimately cost them in the end. Pacione led all scorers with 10. The hornets are 3-1 in the conference.
Week of January 1st
Varsity The Hornets traveled to Downers Grove South for their only game this week in a rivalry matchup with the Mustangs. A wild crowd from both sides witnessed a great game that saw the Hornets pull away in the 4th quarter. The Hornets built several leads throughout the game but a resilient Mustang team kept the game close until the Hornets dominated the final quarter. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with a career high 34 points. Robert Barnes held one of the best shooters in the area to two three point attempts in the entire game. The Hornets improved their record to 11-4 overall and 2-1 in conference.
Sophomore On Friday The Hornets faced off against rival Downers Grove South. The game started off with DGS going on a run in the first quarter. The Hornets came back strong in the second quarter and went into the locker room at halftime down 22-20. The second half went back and forth with both teams going on runs. In the end, DGS finished off the game hitting 2 free throws to bring their lead to 4 and ending the game. Downers Grove South 57 Hinsdale South 53. Jason Williams lead the Hornets with 17 points.
Freshman A On Friday, January 5, the Hornets traveled to Downers Grove South High School for a very competitive conference matchup. Both teams were undefeated in the conference, and both had 2 losses overall coming into the game. To start the game, Jaylon Smith had the hot hand for the Hornets. Jaylon had 9 first quarter points giving the Hornets a 4 point lead at the end of the first quarter. In the second quarter, the Hornets had trouble taking care of the ball along with consecutive offensive possessions that resulted in no baskets. Going into the half, the Hornets would find themselves down 4. For all of the third and fourth quarter it would be a back and forth game. DGS would end up pulling away with under a minute left in regulation to secure the victory, 36-32.
This now puts the Hornets at 2-1 in the conference. The Hornets will play again Tuesday at home in a non-conference matchup vs Dekalb High School. Freshman B The freshmen b hornets made it two in a row by defeating the mustangs 38-32 on Friday. It was a scrappy game the whole way but some great contributions by Pacione as a starter and Savage and Mojica off the bench were enough to lead the hornets to a win which puts them at 5-7 overall and 3-0 in the conference.
Week of December 25th
Varsity
Freshman A The Freshman A Basketball Team participated in a very competitive holiday tournament hosted by Lyons-Township High School. The tournament consisted of three consecutive games against Kenwood High School, Lyons-Township High School, and Stagg High School.
The Hornets opened the holiday tournament against Kenwood High School. The Hornets came out with energy, forcing Kenwood to make many turnovers early in the first quarter. Unfortunately, the Hornets could not capitalize on the Kenwood turnovers missing many high percentage shot attempts. In the second quarter Kenwood came out with energy, and focused on their inside game on offense. The second half was much like the second quarter as Kenwood continued to focus on getting their presence down low the ball, as well as their defensive pressure would be too much for the Hornets, forcing them to a season-high in turnovers. The Final score of this first-round game was Kenwood 73, Hinsdale South 23.
In the second game of the holiday tournament, the young Hornets team competed against Lyons-Township High School. Through well-executed, half-court team defense, the Lyons team was able to hold the Hornets to a season low points scored in a game. The Hornets showed toughness, and full team effort the entire competition. The Freshman A Basketball Team would end up losing their second game in a row (second of the season) by a final score of 33-22.
The following and final day of the tournament, the Hornets took on the Freshman A Team of Stagg High School. The game opened up slow for both teams on offense. The Hornets started the second quarter with energy, and smothered the Stagg offense with their defensive pressure, size, and length. By the end of the half the Hornets were able to grow on their lead, and keep a comfortable margin throughout the rest of the game. Hinsdale South would go onto to win the game by a final score of 47-28. Ahmad Tims lead the game with a total score of 14 points.
After the holiday tournament, the Hornets are now 9-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play. The Freshman A Team look forward to their next game away on Friday, January, 5 at 4:30 pm versus a very skilled, inter-town rival, Downers Grove South.
Freshman B The HSHS freshmen b hornets dropped their first game in the Christmas tournament 47-27 to Kenwood. Jimmy Pacione and Phi Choisser led the hornets in points but it was a tough scoring day vs Kenwood’s zone defense. Once agin, however, the hornets forced multiple turnovers and held an opponent under 50 total points. LT is up next on Wednesday. HSHS is 3-6 on the season.
The freshmen b hornets dropped to 3-7 on Wednesday against Lyons Township 41-34. While the hornet defense was its usual solid self, the offense struggled against the bigger lineup of LT. Jimmy Pacione once again led the scoring for hinsdale south. A Thursday matchup with Stagg will round out the tournament on Thursday.
In the final game of the LT Christmas tournament, the freshman b hornets defeated Stagg 34-31. Pacione and Mojica led the team in scoring and the hornets, who struggled early, really found their groove in the third quarter coming back from a half time deficit. The hornets are now 4-7 overall.
Week of December 18th
Sophomore The sophomore Hornets traveled to Marian Catholic High School for their Christmas tournament. In game 1 the Hornets faced host school Marian Catholic. The entire game was fast paced and back forth with both teams playing very well offensively. At halftime the score was 27-26 Hinsdale South leading. The second half was just like the first half with both teams going back and forth scoring points. Hinsdale South was able to get the win 58-55. Bryan Johnson led the Hornets with 30 points.
In game 2 the Hornets faced off against St. Rita High School. Both teams played strong defense and forced each other into tough shots. The game was back and forth with the score being 39-38 St Rita at the end of the 3rd quarter. The Hornets ran out of gas in the 4th quarter and St. Rita pulled away 59-49. Bryan Johnson scored 18 and James Ruzicka scored 11.
The final game at Marian Catholic featured the Hornets facing off against Bloom Township High School who was 2-0 in the tournament. It was a tough first half for Hinsdale South and Bloom forced the Hornets into a lot of turnovers and bad shots. At halftime the score was 26-16. The Hornets came fighting back in the second half to make the game an exciting finish down the stretch. With the game tied at 45 with 0.7 seconds left, a Bloom player hit one out of two free throws to take the lead and win the game for Bloom. Bryan Johnson scored 17 points and James Ruzicka scored 11.
Week of December 11th
Varsity The Hornets Varsity Basketball team had a very tough weekend. The Hornets traveled to Willowbrook to face the Warriors in a early season battle of two teams undefeated in conference play. The Hornets controlled the game early and carried a 7 point lead into half time. The third quarter saw a major shift in momentum and the Hornets could not stop a hot Warrior run that saw them score 27 points in the last 6 minutes of the third quarter. The Warriors defeated the Hornets 61-53.
On Saturday the Hornets had a quick turn around and had to face Conant in their last game before the Holiday break. Fans in attendance saw a great game between two really good teams. Momentum swung back and forth throughout the game. The game all came down to one possession with 2.8 seconds left on the clock. The Hornets had the ball and a chance to win the game. Sophomore Billy Durkin hit the best 3 pointer of his young career as the buzzer sounded and the fans rushed the court. South beat a very good Conant team 48-45.
Sophomore On Friday the sophomores Hornets traveled to Willowbrook to face of the conference leading Warriors. The game started off back and forth with the Hornets breaking the Warrior press. At halftime the score was Warriors 33 Hinsdale South 27.
To start the quarter the Warriors went on a big run. They took a commanding lead and forced the Hornets into tough situations. At the end of the 3rd quarter Willowbrook lead by 12. The Hornets rallied and stayed tough. While the Hornets kept fighting they ultimately came up short. Willowbrook 60 Hinsdale South 57. Cecil Fisher, Jayden Arquines and Daeshawn Amy all came in and made a big impact on defense. Bryan Johnson led the Hornets with 20, Jason Williams had 15 and James Ruzicka had 13.
On Saturday night the Hornets returned home to face Conant in a non conference game. The game started off slow with both teams playing strong defense and struggling to score. At the end of the first quarter the Hornets led 10-6. The 2nd quarter has more scoring for the Hornets and they broke open the game with a 15-6 quarter making the score 25-12 at halftime.
To start the 3rd quarter the Hornets kept the pressure on. James Ruzicka and Daeshawn Amy started off the rally with 2 big three point shots and the Hornets never looked back. At the end of the 3rd quarter the Hornets led 43-21. In the 4th quarter both teams struggled to score again but the damage had already been done. Hornets 49 Conant 27. Bryan Johnson led the Hornets with 16 Jason Williams had 11 and James Ruzicka had 9.
Freshman A On Friday, the Hornets played in their second conference game matchup against the Willowbrook Warriors on the road. Last season, the Hornets were 0-2 versus the Warriors. This year that would not be the case.
The game started as strategized by the Hornets, combining Willowbrook turnovers into points. The speed and defensive strength of the Hornet guards were too much for the Willowbrook guards on both the offensive and defensive end. Jaylon Smith for the hornets had the hot hand, adding three 3-pointers for the Hornets in the game, finishing with a game high of 15 points. The Hornets were able to hold all Willowbrook player to single-digits, increasing their winning streak to 7 games. The Hornets would hold onto a commanding lead and win the game by a final score of, 50-31.
The Hornets would then have to bounce back playing a second game in less than 24 hours versus Conant High School at home on Saturday. Once again, the size and fundamental skill of the young Hornet team would be too much for Conant. Through aggressive full court pressure, and Jaylon Smith with once again the hot hand, the Hornets pulled away early and never looked back. Jaylon Smith added four 3-pointers once in the game, finishing with 22 points. Ahmad Tims added 13 points & Michael Hoaltram added 11 second half points. The Hinsdale South Hornets would once again be victorious, pushing their win streak to 8 games, winning by a total score of 67-55.
The Hinsdale South Freshman A Team will now be testing their undefeated season versus a city school in Kenwood next Monday at 10:00am at the LT Holiday Tournament.
Freshman B The freshmen b hornets made it two in a row on Friday night against the Willowbrook Warriors. In a game that saw some excellent defense by Izzie Mojica and 17 pts by Jimmy Pacione, the hornets ended up victorious 43-34. They are now 2-5 on the season and 2-0 in conference.
The freshmen b hornets made it 3 in a row on Saturday night against Conant 48-44. Once again the defense forced double digit turnovers and Jimmy Pacione and Emmett Savage led in scoring. The freshman b hornets are now 3-5 on the season.
Week of December 4th
Varsity The Hornets started the conference season off with a big 75-57 Win over Morton on Friday night. The Hornets led by Zion Griffin’s 26 points dominated the last 3 quarters to improve their record to 6-1 on the season. 9 Hornet players scored in the game. Ramon Norman scored a season high 15 points while Sophomores Billy Durkin and Aaron Tims added 8 and 9 points.
On Saturday the Hornets traveled to the United Center to take on Wheaton St. Francis. With a fun crowd of almost 1000 fans the Hornets got to show off their game on the home court of the Chicago Bulls. Every player on the team got to experience playing a unique game. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 18 points. 10 Players scored in the game.
The two victories by the Hornets improved their record to 7-1 on the season.
Sophomore The Hornets opened up conference play on Friday night with a game against the Morton Mustangs.
The Hornets started off slow with the Mustangs taking an early lead. Morton was lead by three point shooting and aggressive defense early. At the end of the first quarter it was Morton 13 Hinsdale South 8. The second quarter was all Hornets and was the point where Hinsdale South took control of the game. The Hornets scored a season high 27 points in the second quarter alone to take a commanding 35-22 lead into half time. Hinsdale South was led by James Ruzicka scoring 11 points in the second quarter alone.
After halftime the Hornets kept the pressure on Morton outscoring them by 12 in the third quarter. The Hornets playing aggressive defense and unselfish offense had everything clicking for the rest of the game. At the end of the game the final score was Hinsdale South 63 Morton 32. Eleven out of thirteen players scored in the game for the Hornets. James Ruzicka led the Hornets with 20 points while Bryan Johnson had 12 points. Next week Hinsdale South travels to Willowbrook High School for a tough matchup vs the WIllowbrook Warriors.
Freshman A The Freshman A Basketball Team played in their first conference matchup versus Morton High School on Friday, December 8.
The Hornets outmatched Morton with size, speed, and skill level, but were settling for outside shots in the first quarter, only scoring 5 points at the end of the first quarter. This would be the lowest scoring quarter for the Hornets thus far. But after the first quarter, Hinsdale settled down and started to work the ball into the post, creating fouls for the other team, along with higher percentage shot selections. For the remaining three quarters, Hinsdale was able to hold a comfortable lead, with contributions from all players on the Hornet roster.
The young Hornet team was able to once again hang onto the lead, and finished the game with a win and final score of, 37-32. This win now brings the Freshman A Team’s overall record to 6-0, and 1-0 in the West Suburban Gold. The Freshman A Team will play their next game on Friday, December, 15 at 6:00 pm at Willowbrook High School and Saturday, December 16 at home versus Conant at 3:30pm. Last season Willowbrook was 2-0 versus the Hornets.
Freshman B The freshmen b team won it’s first game of the season Friday night against the Morton Mustangs 43-39. In another scrappy affair the hornet defense proved big and Max Nicholas led all scorers with 15. Jimmy Pacione also contributed 13 to the effort. The hornets are now 1-5, 1-0 in conference.
Week of November 27th
Varsity Hinsdale South Basketball continued extended its winning streak to 5 games this week with two good non-conference wins.
On Tuesday the Hornets welcomed the Andrew Thunderbolts to the Hornets’ nest. Offense was hard to find in the first half and luckily the Hornets strong defense kept them in the game and limited the Thunderbolts to 20 points in the first half. A motivated Hornets team scored 37 points in the first 12 minutes of the second half. The Hornets built up a 14 point lead in the 4th quarter after trailing by 9 at half time. Zion Griffin lead the Hornets with 16 points.
On Friday the Hornets played a huge rivalry game with Hinsdale Central. The Hornets dominated the first quarter of the game held a 17-8 lead at one point. The Red Devils battled back and took a 3 point lead into half time. The Hornets came out and played a great 2nd half once again. Robert Barnes had one of the most impressive 2nd halves you will ever see a player have. Roberts Offense and Defense led the Hornets to a 60-44 victory in front of a wild Hinsdale South crowd. Robert Barnes led the Hornets with 22 points and 9 rebounds. Sophomore The Hornets entered week 2 of the season with 2 tough opponents. On Tuesday the Hornets played Andrew High School.
The game started off back and forth with both teams trading off layups and 3 point shots. At the end of the first quarter the score was tied 10-10. The Hornets kept the pressure on Andrew and were able to out score them in the second quarter. At halftime the score was Hinsdale South 23-Andrew 19. To start the third quarter the Hornets had their best quarter of the game outscoring Andrew 19-10 to take a 42-29 lead after 3 quarters. James Ruzicka had 8 in the 3rd quarter while Jason Williams had 6. The Hornets relied on tough team defense and rebounding to close out the 4th quarter. At the end of game the Hornets won 54-41. Jason Williams led the team scoring 14 points, Bryan Johnson had 13 while James Ruzicka had 11.
On Friday the Hornets hosted rivals Hinsdale Central. The Hornets came out firing early putting pressure on the Red Devils. The Hornets defense was flying around the court getting steals and defensive rebounds and pushing the pace to try and get easy baskets. Bryan Johnson and Jason Williams got the Hornets started hitting one 3 point shot and also adding two and one layups. James Ruzicka also came up big in the first quarter scoring 10 points in the first quarter including two 3 pointers. At the end of the first quarter it was Hinsdale South 20 Hinsdale Central 5.
The Hornets offense kept their foot on the gas in the 2nd quarter with 5 different Hornets contributing points in the quarter. Hinsdale Central got their offense going in the second quarter making it a fast paced up and down game. James Ruzicka scored two more 3 pointers before halftime making the score 35-19 at half.
The third quarter was the toughest for Hinsdale South. The Hornets kept up the great defense but struggled to score the ball scoring just 7 points in the quarter. Going into the 4th quarter the score was Hinsdale South 42 Hinsdale Central 30.
The Hornets came out in the 4th quarter ready to close the game out. Continued strong defensive play plus scoring from James Ruzicka, Jason Williams, Marquese Garrett and Jayden Arquines extended the lead over 20 points and gave the Hornets a big win over rivals Hinsdale Central. Final score Hinsdale South 61 Hinsdale Central 37. James Ruzicka led the Hornets with 22 points (six 3 pointers), Jason Williams scored 17, while Bryan Johnson had 6. The Hornets open up conference play next week at home against the Morton Mustangs.
Freshman A Hinsdale South continued their winning ways on Friday against cross-town rival Hinsdale Central. The game started with strong offensive play, and clutch shooting by both teams. At the end of the first half, Central lead the game, 24-20. To start the second half, the young Hornets team came out with plenty of energy to stun the Central defense with their post play. Hoaltram lead the game for the Hornets in the post with 17 total points to lead all scorers in the game. The Hornets were able to hold of Hinsdale Central with a last defensive stop with 2 seconds left in regulation, with a 1 point lead. The Hornets would go on to win the game by a score of, 43-42. This win improves South’s record to 5-0. Hinsdale South will be back on at home versus Morton this upcoming week. The game begins at 4:30pm Friday, December 8th at Hinsdale South High School.
Freshman B The freshman b hornets dropped their first home game vs Andrew on Tuesday night 53-39. Despite a valiant effort that cut the game to four at half, the scoring just want there down the stretch for the hornets in the end. Pacione led all scorers with 15 and Mojica contributed 12 in the loss. The hornets are now 0-4.
The hornets dropped a tough one vs Hinsdale Central on Friday night 48-11. Hinsdale South struggled to score all night despite playing some scrappy defense. The Morton Mustangs are up next for the hinsdale south b team.
Week of November 20th
Varsity The Varsity basketball team got off to a great start by going 3-1 in their Thanksgiving Tournament. The 3-1 record saw the Hornets capture 3rd place in the Lyons Township/ Glenbard Thanksgiving Classic.
On Monday the Hornets started their season vs. an always tough Maine South team. South had a lot of new faces playing in their first varsity game. The Hornets led by 26 points from Zion Griffin were able to get up early but couldn’t keep up with a veteran Maine South team as the game progressed. A up tempo comeback got the Hornets to within 2 points at the buzzer. The Hornets hot shooting from the 3point line did see them make 8 3 point attempts.
On Tuesday the Hornets came back strong and over powered a good Plainfield North team. The Hornets dominated the 2nd and 3rd periods to extend their lead to over 20 points in both quarters. Zion Griffin scored 20 points and Ramon Norman added a career high 15 points and 3 3’s. The tough Hornet defense held Plainfield North to 35 points and saw them give up 6 points or less in two quarters.
On Wednesday the Hornets faced the host Lyons Township Lions. This game kept seeing the Hornets extend leads to 10 points throughout the game, but a tough 122 trap from the host team caused turnover issues for the Hornets. A resilient effort from the Hornets saw them keep their composure and battle for a win. The Hornets were led by Zion Griffins 22 points and Ramon Norman’s 10 points.
After having a couple of days off for Thanksgiving the Hornets traveled to Glenbard East to take on the Glenbard West Hill toppers in the 3rd place game. The Hornets fell behind early getting down 8-2 but then turned it on. The Hornets finished the first half with a 30-11 run that saw them create a large lead that would never be given up. Hot shooting led to the run and saw the Hornets score 4 consecutive 3 point attempts by 4 different players in the 2nd period. This hot shooting spread the defense out and allowed the Hornets to cruise to a 9 point victory in the end. Zion Griffin led the Hornets with 21 points while Robert Barnes added 14 and Ramon Norman scored 10.
The Hornets now get ready for regular season play with 3 consecutive home games in the next two weeks. Sophomore The sophomore basketball team played in their first tournament of the season over the Thanksgiving weekend. The Hornets finished in 2nd place with a 2-1 record at the Lyons Township Thanksgiving Tournament.
In the first game of the season the Hornets played Lyons Township. It was a tough game with LT hitting most of their shots. The sophomore Hornets kept fighting and brought the game within 10 points in the 3rd quarter. Unfortunately LT’s shooting was too much and gave the Hornets their first loss of the season.
In the second game of the season the Hornets took on Plainfield North. The game started off fast going back and forth with both teams hitting a lot of their shots, at the end of an exciting first quarter the score was 13-13. The second quarter was the toughest for the sophomore Hornets and they went into the locker room trailing 31-26. In the third quarter the Hornets relied on offensive rebounding and strong ball movement to get the lead back at the end of the third quarter 44-40. The 4th quarter was another exciting back and forth quarter. The Hornets went down 54-50 with 3 minutes left in the game. After a few defensive stops and great offensive possessions they went on their own 6-0 run to take the lead 56-54. With 30 seconds left in the game the score was 58-58 and the Hornets called timeout. The Hornets held the ball for the last shot of the game and Bryan Johnson drove hard into the lane and passed to Marquese Garrett wide open for an easy layup with 3 seconds left. Plainfield North threw the ball in and tried a half court court shot but it was short, the Hornets won 60-58! Bryan Johnson and Marquese Garrett each scored 14 points, while James Ruzicka had 13 points.
In the final game of the tournament the Hornets took on Maine South. The game started off similar to the the Plainfield North game. The Hornets and Maine South relied on 3 point shooting in the first quarter and ended the quarter tied 12-12. While the Maine South shooting slowed down in the 2nd quarter, the Hornets kept hitting their three pointers. Kyle Cattaneo hit two three pointers in the 2nd quarter while Jason Williams hit one. The Hornets went into the locker room with a 25-20 lead at halftime. To start the 3rd quarter the Hornets relied on their defensive pressure, ball movement and transition offense to keep the pressure on Maine South. The Hornets never looked back and beat Maine South 48-39. Jacob Stukas lead the Hornets with 10 points while Marquese Garrett had 9 points.
Freshman A The Freshman A Basketball Team started off the regular season this week with 3 consecutive games on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. The Freshman A Hornets finished with a 3-0 record at the Reavis High School Thanksgiving Tournament, captured 1st place, and are now back-to-back champions at the event.
In the first game of the season, the Freshman A Hornets faced off against Evergreen Park on Monday. Evergreen Park was a great matchup for South in regards to size and matchups. The Hornets struggled from the free throw line making only 7 out of 24 attempts in the game. The Hornets had the final opportunity to win the game in regulation, but the shot attempt was off taking the game into overtime. Tied at 65-65 in overtime, Evergreen Park had the ball with 15 seconds left, and forced a shot up. The Hornets rebounded and were able to advance the ball past half court, calling for a timeout. The Hornets were able to set up the last play, when Ahmad Tims made the tip in basket with 0.06 seconds left sealing the victory for the Hornets 67-65. 4 Players for the Hornets finished the game in double figures: Ahmad Tims (11), Domas Dicpetris (14), Jaylon Smith (11), Michael Hoaltram (10). The depth of the Hornets’s roster is not only very unique, but extremely skilled.
In the second game of the tournament, the Freshman A Hornets played a West Suburban Gold conference team, Addison Trail. With aggressive team defense, quick transition offense, and quality teamplay, the Addison Trail team was no match for the Hornets. Ahmad Tims had 9 points in 4 minutes (all in the first quarter). Henry Johnson finished the game with 8 points, while Maurice Houston (8), Tayshawn Amy (6), Deontae Dixon II (5), Andrius Avina (4), Jelani Wilson (3), Jaylon Smith (3), Keith Chatman (2), Domas Dicpetris (2), all contributed points. The Freshman A Hornets finished the game with an impressive score of 51-32.
In the final game of the Reavis Thanksgiving Tournament, the Freshman A Hinsdale South Team played against the tournament host Reavis Rams, in a championship game matchup. The Hornets came out of the gates with a score of 22-3 after the first quarter. The Hornets were able to maintain a double-digit lead the rest of the game. Ahmad Tims was the leading scorer in the game with 16 points. Domas Dicepetris (9), Jaylon Smith and Maurice Houston added 8, Henry Johnson (4), Michael Hoaltram (3), Jelani Wilson, Keith Chatman, and Andrius Avina all finished the game with 2 points. The Freshman A Hornets were once again victorious with an end game score of 55-35, and are your Back-to-Back 2016 & 2017 Reavis Rams Thanksgiving Tournament Champions! Freshman B The HS freshman B team started the season with a loss to the Elgin Larkin A team in the West Chicago tournament. While the score was lopsided, 72-55, there was plenty to cheer about as the hornets forced several tour overs and were within 4 in the middle of the third quarter. Omari Jackson led all hornet scorers with 11. The hornets have Elgin’s A team up next.
The freshmen B hornets lost 62-41 on Wednesday to Elgin. In another tough and physical game, the hornets were able to keep it close for 3 quarters before Elgin finally pulled away as HS shooting went cold. West Chicago is next and Hinsdale South is 0-2 in this young season.
Once again the hornets lost to the West Chicago A team in the thanksgiving tournament 48-18. While the hornet defense continues to get better, the offense struggled. Jackson led all HS scorers with 6. Andrews high school is up next on Tuesday and the hornets start the season 0-3.