DePaul Prep Rams closed the regular season on Friday Evening falling to #2 ranked Benet Academy 47-44. I have seen Benet play several time this year. I saw them beat Joliet West at Pontiac. Then later that same day Simeon topped them for their only loss. Since then the only Marist and Kenwood gave them games but lost.
So coming into DePaul’s Tom Winiecki Gym to face a DePaul team that hasn’t been the dominant team this year that it has been in recent years, it should have been a easy time for the Redwings.
But it’s hard for any team, any time to come into DePaul’s gym and win. There are close connections between DePaul and Benet. DePaul Prep’s former sophomore coach David Kleinschmidt, brother of DePaul Prep coach Tom Kleinschmidt, is Benet’s sophomore coach now. (By the way, DePaul Prep’s sophomore team beat Benet’s in the first game.) Tom Kleinschmidt and Benet’s Gene Heidkamp are close.
Both teams play a similar style of game, play defense, control the ball, control the clock and run the offense. The score was not going to be in the seventies.
And so it played out, but unfortunately for the Rams, it was Benet that played DePaul’s game. They got an early first quarter lead with smothering defense and, despite a determined fourth quarter comeback by Tom Kleinschmidt’s young Rams squad, the Redwings never game up the lead and prevailed 47-43 in the end.
Honestly, one never felt as though Benet would collapse. The lead in the fourth was moved between 5 and 7 thoughout the final minutes. But is sure did not look like a game between a middle of the pack Chicago Catholic League team and the No. 2 ranked 26-1 powerhouse from the suburbs.
Sometimes the records are out the window, and one is glad just to get out of town with a win. That was Benet’s Friday night.
The DePaul Prep Rams finish the regular season with a good but disappointing 16-12 overall record and a 6-7 record in the Catholic League Blue given the great teams that we have enjoyed in recent years. The Rams suffered no bad losses; but no signature wins. Injuries hampered the Rams but they also gave playing time to young players that would not have seen the floor as much. That will help next year.
The IHSA Playoffs are upon us. DePaul Prep opens the 2A playoffs on Wednesday evening at home against Noble Academy. Noble Academy coach Adrian Rodriguez informed me that Noble defeated Marine Leadership 74-26 yesterday.
Playoffs are like elections. It will all be over on a short schedule. We’ll have a new state champs in three weeks.
