By JIM MACLEAN
Every team knows a playoff battle between the eight and nine seeds can be a tough one, either team can win, so even though the Fox Lane boys’ varsity basketball team had earned a home game as the No. 8-seed, the Foxes knew it would be rough hosting Harrison on Feb. 22, in the first-round of the Section 1 Class AA tournament.
It didn’t help that Fox Lane got off to a slow start, finding it hard to make a basket. By the end of the first half, the host Foxes had scored just 11 points and trailed 22-11, and Harrison kept up the tough defense in the second half to thwart any comeback rally as the Huskies pulled away for a 54-32 victory.
“Harrison is a strong team and we knew it would be a tough game, credit to them for how they played, they were physical and made it difficult for us offensively,” explained Fox Lane coach Mike Tomassi. “We didn’t have our best game, Harrison did a great job of disrupting what we do. We also struggled with our shooting, which was a tough combination to overcome.”
Senior Eli Daglio led Fox Lane with 10 points, while Arthur Shevick scored nine points. Mac Keller scored five points. Evan Mayers and Janak Bain each scored four points to round out the scoring for the Foxes, but it wasn’t enough to keep up with the Huskies.
With the victory Harrison moves on to the quarterfinals, while Fox Lane finishes the season with a 13-8 overall record. Despite the loss, Fox Lane had come on strong with an eight-game winning streak down the stretch.
“The boys had a fantastic year, with many new faces and players stepping into new roles, winning 13 games and competing for a home playoff game was a great accomplishment,” said Tomassi. “We dealt with some significant injuries, but the team stayed together and put together a successful season.”
It was the final game for the seniors, and there were a lot of them with nine on the roster and four in the starting lineup.
“This senior class was special, a great group of kids who worked hard and were committed to winning for Fox Lane,” Tomassi said of his seniors. “They will be missed, as they played a big role in our program’s success.”
Shevick will be the lone returning starter for the Foxes next year as the junior was one of the leading scorers in Section 1 averaging more than 22 points a game. Harrison came out with a defensive plan to stop him and held him to nine points, but Tomassi is excited to see what Shevick can do for the Foxes next winter as a senior.
“Arthur had a fantastic junior season, showcasing his hard work and talent,” Tomassi said of Shevick. “He’s approaching 1,000 points and will go down as one of the best players to wear a Fox Lane uniform. We expect him to have a monster senior year. As for the supporting cast, we’re optimistic; we return a significant number of players who earned minutes this season. A strong offseason will be key, but we’re excited for the future of Fox Lane basketball.”
Left, Mac Keller drives to the hoop for Fox Lane. Right, Arthur Shevick fires a three-pointer for the Foxes. David Taber Photos