Although the Lake Zurich boys basketball team’s season came to a halt with a 48-42 loss to St. Viator in the Class 4A Wheeling Regional championship Friday, the Bears enjoyed a uniquely successful season.
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Lake Zurich eclipsed the 20-win mark for the first time since 2004-05, and it made it by a wide margin, going 23-9. The Bears began the season with seven straight wins and won championships at their own Martin Luther King Classic, the Grant Thanksgiving Tournament and the Pekin Holiday Tournament.
“It was a fun year. A successful year. A great ride,” Lake Zurich coach Billy Pitcher said. “We couldn’t get over the hump to win the regional, but there were so many great memories, friendships and bonds that the kids will talk about 10-20 years from now.”
The core group of players included senior starters Mike Travlos, Will McClaughry and Jack O’Neill, along with juniors Nick Penny and Nick Meyer.
Travlos finished his three-plus seasons on varsity with 1,568 points, making him Lake Zurich’s second all-time leading scorer (behind Mike Kolze). Travlos, who will play for Division II Hillsdale College in Michigan next season, averaged 19.7 points with more than two 3-pointers per game.
“Mike is very hard to guard, to stay in front of. He can drive by you, stop and pop and hit the three. He did so much for us,” Pitcher said. “And he always wanted to guard the other team’s best player.”
“We had a really good year,” Travlos said. “Something everyone should be proud of.”
At 6-foot-6, McClaughry could go inside or shoot the three. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.2 rebounds.
“Will got a lot stronger, more aggressive and more confident this year,” Pitcher said. “He does everything you ask him to do. A great example for everyone else.”
Pitcher also praised a host of other Bears, including O’Neill (for his defensive skill) and Penny and Meyer (for their floor play and shot-making abilities). O’Neill averaged 10.1 points, Meyer averaged 7.5 and Penny averaged 7.2 points and 6 rebounds. Junior sixth man Tim Spears was a critical defensive contributor.
Except for two losses to Stevenson — the state’s No. 1-ranked team for much of the season — Lake Zurich did not lose any other game by more than six points.
That’s a performance that will be tough to duplicate next year.
“It’s going to be very difficult,” Penny said. “Lots of firepower on the court and leadership in the locker room is going away. But I think we’ll be OK.”
Pitcher seconded that notion.
“Our younger players had a great experience being in the environment of a regional championship game,” he said. “With [Nick Penny, Nick Meyer and Tim Spears] back and [6-6 junior] Andrew Gilbertson, who tore his MCL this year, and a sophomore team that was 19-9, I’m excited for the future.”
Mark Perlman is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.