Elmwood Park played in plenty of close games this season, but just couldn’t get over the hump.
The Tigers (6-20) lost five games by three points or fewer in the regular season, so they seemed destined to suffer the same fate in the playoffs.
Elmwood Park’s season came to an end on March 2 with a 41-39 loss to Johnsburg in the Class 3A Johnsburg Regional quarterfinals.
“It was a close game the whole way,” Tigers head coach Tony Sylvester said. “We were down two at half and up one to start the fourth quarter. We had three or four shots in the final 20 seconds and couldn’t get anything to fall. That’s kind of the story of our season.”
Sylvester takes pride that he never lost his team. Even as the losses piled up, his Tigers always stayed upbeat.
“We didn’t have any implosions,” Sylvester said. “It was a great group to coach. Out of my nine years here (as assistant and head coach) it was one of the more enjoyable seasons. There were a bunch of nice memories and the kids stayed positive.”
The players felt the same way. They went into games with the right approach; it just often seemed to not work out.
“Every game we went in with a positive attitude, thinking we would win, but every game just didn’t turn out with a win,” senior Ian Nunez said. “It was a tough year with our record, but I had a great time at Elmwood Park. I had a family for all four years and it was a great experience.”
The good news for Elmwood Park is that just two senior starters (Tom Hap and Arturo Reyes) will be leaving. Sylvester knows precisely what the returning group needs to do between now and November.
“We have to work hard in the summer because sometimes our skills let us down,” Sylvester said. “The more games you can play in the spring, summer and fall, the more it will help prepare you for the winter when it really counts.”
One key player expected to return is junior Anthony Perodin. He had a breakout year, stepping up to become the team’s leading scorer when Reyes was injured in the preseason. Perodin averaged double digits in points and was named all-Metro Suburban East.
“He has all the talent in the world,” Sylvester said. “Teams are for sure going to start targeting him like they did near the end of the season. I’d like to see him continue to get stronger, both physically and mentally. He can’t just score points for us. He has to do it all.”
It’s hard to blame opposing scouts for being surprised by the 5-foot-11 guard. Perodin didn’t play his sophomore year while getting his grades in order, but dedicated himself to getting better in the classroom and on the court.
“I didn’t really expect that much because I was coming back from not playing for a while,” Perodin said. “I’m not gonna lie; it felt really good to play so well. I’m just glad my team looked at me as the new leader when Arturo went down. I didn’t want to let them down.”
Perodin is looking forward to a productive offseason and hopes all his classmates develop what it takes to win the close games.
“Chemistry is the main thing you need to win those games,” he said. “You have to have that bond with the team. We’re going to get that chemistry and come back next year and make some noise.”
Rob Valentin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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