Lockport Boys Basketball Finishes Season Strong

Image by Keith Johnston from Pixabay

Written by Ryan Bennett, Sports Editor

The Lockport Boys Basketball team is coming off one of their most impressive seasons in recent memory. They finished with a 12-4 record, and were one win away from qualifying for the conference championship. 

The season was far from normal, with restrictions being put in place due to COVID-19. Head Coach Brett Hespell said that the changes were not easy to deal with. “Playing in masks was somewhat of a challenge and definitely something that the guys and the coaches had to get used to.” Another big change was the lack of a postseason, which some of the players also found disappointing.

There were many great moments the team experienced during the season. One of the most memorable was a game against Homewood-Flossmoor, in which the Porters lost in four overtimes by one point. “H-F is one of the top 25 teams in Illinois,” Coach Hespell said. “It was a truly epic game.” Other highlights include a combined 4-0 record against rivals Lincoln-Way East and Sandburg, and a big victory over conference powerhouse Bolingbrook. 

As far as individual players that shined, senior Matas Deksnys had an incredible season. He tied the program record for the most three-pointers made in one game and received special mention honors for the All-State team by the Illinois Basketball Coaches Association. Other standout players include senior Angelo Vassilakis, who was named All-Conference and All-Area, and juniors Anthony Munson and Ethan Gallagher, who were named All-Conference honorable mentions.

Overall, Coach Hespell called the season a success. The team won 10 of their final 12 games, and although the season didn’t feel very normal, the important thing was that a season was able to be played at all. Finally, looking to the future, Coach Hespell sees this season as a huge building block to get the team to where he wants them to be. “I’d say our goal was to re-establish this program as one of the top programs in the southwest suburbs, and I think we took a big step forward in doing that this season.”