Boys' Basketball Begins Regional Play

The 2010-11 season has not been kind to Cary-Grove’s boys’ basketball team in regards to record.

After winning the Fox Valley Conference Valley Division in 2009-10, the Trojans struggled to an 11-15 overall record and 4-6 conference record this year.

However, the records are now stricken from the books as regional play gets underway Monday night for C-G as the No. 4 seed in the IHSA Class 4A Prairie Ridge Regional and will face the fifth-seeded Wolves at 7:30 p.m.

Cary and Prairie Ridge played in the final regular season game on Feb. 22 with Cary winning 38-26 at Prairie Ridge.

Cary coach Ralph Schuetzle said that he expects changes this time around.

“It is good to go against PR, I just don’t like back to back games,” Schuetzle said. “They will change what they did. Their press will be different and not so sure they will zone us because they have been such a man-to-man team. However, we did not attack their zone real well so they may stay with the 3-2 zone.  It just makes us have to prepare for a few different things.”

The winner of Monday’s game will play top-seeded Huntley at 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

The other semifinal features fellow Fox Valley Conference teams, No. 2 seed McHenry and No. 3 Crystal Lake South, facing off at 8:10 p.m.

Schuetzle added he likes having a regional with teams that he has already seen at least once this season.

“Everyone knows their personnel and what worked and what didn’t work so I like that concept of knowing what you have to work on and what to expect,” Schuetzle said. “The game prep is easier than playing a team for the first time. If we can beat PR, (then against) Huntley, we can really take their zone offense and see where we had problems the last time.  It does boil down to us scoring some pts, especially vs. Huntley because they score well.”

The Prairie Ridge Regional winner advances to the Jacobs Sectional to face the Larkin Regional champion Mar. 8 at 7:30 p.m.