OH sophomore Ethan Vahl pushes past defense towards the hoop before passing to a teammate, putting the score up. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42Fifty
On Fri. Jan. 10, the OH boys varsity basketball team emerged victorious against OE, winning the game 59-52 in overtime.
For the last 16 crosstown basketball games, OH has ended up in a loss against OE. All hope seemed lost with the Panthers losing by seven points with two minutes left, but then the comeback began.
Of the win, OH senior Mariano Velasco said, “I hope this momentum can carry through after this big crosstown win, so we can win more games and carry home a win from the regionals game.”
Among the team resides sophomore top player Ethan Vahl, ranked top 25 in the U.S. ESPN ranked Vahl, and he remains as third in the state of Illinois as well as top 25 among high school point guards.
“Being a top player in the nation is something that everyone dreams of, but I don’t think that is enough,” Vahl said. “And I still have a lot more work to do and still more room to learn. It also teaches me a lot with adversity and having to be a leader and me knowing there’s a target on my back every game.”
Below is a photo essay, displaying the exciting events that transpired at the crosstown basketball game.
OH sophomore Ethan Vahl attempts for a two-point layup. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH sophomore Marquis Johnson moves with the ball onto the OE side of the court. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH junior Niko Jurkovic attempts for a three-point shot during the second period. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH sophomore Ethan Vahl pushes past defense towards the hoop before passing to a teammate, putting the score up. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH junior Niko Jurkovic keeps his skills warm by practicing his dunks and layups during halftime. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH sophomore Ethan Vahl quickly pushes into OE territory after intercepting a pass with two seconds left in the third period. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH junior Graham Schwab assists Ethan Vahl off the court floor, with 2:32 left in the fourth period while OH is losing 38-43. Schwab added that, “I felt connected with my team and the crowd and had confidence we would win.” Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOH sophomore Cole Jansons goes for a two-point, which gave the OH Panthers a better chance at going into overtime, putting the score to 43-45. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyOE receives a foul after Ethan Vahl makes a layup. The layup was interrupted, but Vahl had two free throw shots to make. He ended up making both of them, tying the game and putting OH into overtime with a score of 45-45. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42FiftyDuring overtime, hype and tension is raised in the student section for OH. Friends and family wonder what’s next, but the wondering ends as OH emerges triumphant against OE. Credit: Liam Piekarczyk, 42Fifty
Howdy! My name is Liam Piekarczyk and I am a first year staff reporter and Photography Editor for 42Fifty. I'm in my senior year of high school. I am involved in the school's cross country, swim and dive, and track and field team. I am also an editor for the 25/26 reflector yearbook staff. You can contact me by emailing 42Fifty@sd308.org and putting my name in the subject line. We welcome comments on our articles and feedback for our publication!
