Students pour into the McGrath-Phillips Arena, and the stands fill up with spectators. Players’ hearts are beating in anticipation as they warm up for the game. It is 7:30 PM on January 26 at DePaul — time for the second “Blue Out” game of the year and so for Parker’s varsity basketball team to battle for victory against Latin’s Romans, its largest rival. At the end of the game, the score read 64-45 with Latin taking home the victory. Since the game and as of February 15, the Parker record stands 8-13.

“The game did not go as well as we would have liked,” Kevin Snider, Parker Upper School Men’s Varsity Basketball Coach, said. “We started off decent, but in the second half, we thought we had made the proper adjustments. Although, unfortunately, things didn’t go as well as we would have liked.”

Freshman Griffin Kass on the emotions following the game. “After the game, our coach was upset because we lost,” Kass said. “But he noticed how hard we had fought in the game, and he really appreciated our effort.”

At first we were running the plays very well, and defending Latin’s bigs very well,” Snider said, “but as the game continued, we didn’t do as well as we had in the first half, and we couldn’t seem to knock shots down.”

Two players in particular seemed to be putting forth effort in the game. “A couple guys really played very hard,” Snider said. “I thought Charlie Rantala really played well, rebounding along with Cameron Miller. Unfortunately, some of their best players played a very good game, and it really hurt us in the long run.”

Kass noted an area of weakness for the team. “It came down to our lack of practice before the season started,” Kass said. “The Coach wished he could have worked on some skills with some players, so our team had been more fundamentally sound.”

In spite of the loss, Snider emphasized the importance of sportsmanship. “Overall, the game did not go as well as we had expected,” Snider said. “It is important that we are sportsmanlike, always working hard and being looked upon as a top team that always gives a hundred percent.” 

“The Parker/Latin rivalry goes back decades, and is one of those games where, no matter what, our kids are going to play their hearts out,” Bobby Starks, Head of Athletics, said, “and everyone was very excited to watch Parker take on its rival and be the visitor.”

At the season’s first “Blue Out” game on December 1, Parker was the home team, and the sides changed for the second. “The second Blue Out is always good, and the second game is just as big of an event.” Starks said, “The only difference is that we are the visitors. We are on the other side of the bench and the other side of the stands.”

The school community joined together to watch. “It is always an awesome game for family, and alumni, and the entire school community,” Starks said. “We had a great fan base that came out. Not only Upper School families, but we had families in our Middle School and Lower School, so it was a good time.”

There are always lessons to be learned, win or lose. “The team as a whole, they never stopped fighting to try to win the game, and we just did not finish or run the plays to the best of our ability, but at least we were attempting,” Snider said. “We can build from that.”

The team is looking toward next steps. “We are a very good team with a lot of seniors,” Snider said. “This is their last year, so I think these guys are really working hard to have a great finish. We are looking forward to the state playoffs, and finishing up these next few weeks, and we also have a lot of young guys, freshmen and sophomores. We have a very bright future. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.”

To end the season, the boys played at North Shore Country Day on February 15 and look forward to their game at Taft High School on February 16. Their regional tournament game will take place at Orr High School over February break.