The West Chicago Wildcats competed in the first regional game versus the Bartlett Hawks on Feb. 23. Both teams had similar records going into regionals, with the Wildcats at 7-22 and the Hawks at 8-23. The Wildcats showed up ready for the intense battle to come.

“We’re not playing to prove Bartlett wrong, we’re playing to prove ourselves right. We have a special group, despite our record, and were gonna leave it all on the floor for each other,” coach Roy Ramos said.

The Wildcats started on the right foot, with senior Tristian McWilliams getting a layup to take the lead early in the first quarter. The boys stayed on their toes every moment of the game; they never failed to put forth their full effort to be first to the ball on every play, whether jumping or diving to keep the ball in.

The score stayed close, with 2:16 left on the clock in the first quarter, junior Jonathan Ocampo made one out of his two free throws to tie the game 10-10. Quickly after, freshman Ashton Hollin also made one out of two free throws taking the lead for the team 11-10.

During the second quarter, senior Ryan Slattery and Ocampo worked simultaneously to create plays. Ocampo gave Slattery a pass, allowing him to get a layup.

The adrenaline was high on the court.

With 6 minutes left on the clock, Slattery hit a 3-pointer. The Hawks only had possession of the ball for 15 seconds until the Wildcats took it back over, and freshman Evan Trushov shot a 3-pointer as well. These 3-pointers brought the Wildcats in the lead with a score of 19-17.

Slattery is an exceptional player on the court due to his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself, while also  being able to produce scoring opportunities for his teammates. Slattery assisted McWilliams on a layup with 3:20 left in the second quarter. Going into halftime, the score was brought to 24-28 with the Hawks in the lead.

“It’s a close game. I like the intensity; the intensity is really high. Both teams, I think, are doing pretty well,” senior Evan Murrin said.

Unfortunately, the Hawks brought out more energy in the second half than the Wildcats were ready for. This fast-paced game quickly turned one-sided. The Wildcats left the Hawks with many open shot opportunities; however, they only completed about half of their attempts.

This game turned into a back-and-forth match with both teams struggling to get their own rebounds, resulting in many quick turnovers of possession. However, Slattery received his own rebound and shot a layup to get the Wildcats energy jump-started.

During the fourth quarter, there were numerous fouls. The game turned into a free-throw battle. Unfortunately, the Wildcats tended to make only one out of their two free throws, while the Hawks averaged making both of theirs. With 4:42 left on the clock, Slattery made both of his free throws, bringing the score to 40-49 with the Hawks in the lead.

With a devastating ending to the match, the Hawks won with a final score of 41-58. The senior players on the team were emotional stepping off the court for the last time.

During the post-game talk, the coaches gave heartfelt speeches about the season. Assistant coach Matt Nelson began by thanking the seniors for this season and appreciating all their efforts throughout their four years. Afterwards, he followed up by encouraging the underclassmen, reminding them that their time is not over.

“Basketball players are made from March to October, and then they’re proven from October to March,” Nelson said.

Ramos became slightly emotional during his own speech. He individually praised each senior, appreciating them for their past efforts, and wished them luck for their future. This group had a special dynamic, he said. They became close as a team, and despite their struggles during games, their motivation was always for each other.

“I’ll always pick you guys on our team,” Ramos said, “You’re always on our team.”