St. Patrick vs. Fenwick: Sectional Semis Standouts

<!-- wp:paragraph --> <p>Wednesday night featured a series of captivating showdowns for the second day of sectional semifinals across Illinois. I tuned into the 3A Fenwick Sectional and was treated to a thrilling contest between St. Patrick's and Fenwick. The Shamrocks established an early lead, but Fenwick kept surging for a comeback. Ultimately, St. Patrick secured an advantage that proved insurmountable for Fenwick, winning with a score of 62-52. This victory catapults them into the Sectional Final, where they will face off against Payton College Prep on March 1st!</p> <!-- /wp:paragraph --> <!-- wp:acf/evaluation-block {"name":"acf/evaluation-block","data":{"player_evaluations_0_player":["2104971"],"_player_evaluations_0_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_0_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_0_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"The senior shooting guard had a goal all night, and that was to get position around the rim, finish tough attempts, and dish assists. Thomas has a way of swiftly driving and using nifty moves to create just enough of an advantage. He had a beautiful wrap around pass to [player_tooltip player_id='2823605' first='RJ' last='McPartlin'] during the first quarter after elevating and finding him at the last second. Off-ball, Thomas is a smart and quick cutter. Defensively, he was able put continuous pressure at the top of St. Patrick's 1-3-1 zone.","_player_evaluations_0_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_1_player":["1469251"],"_player_evaluations_1_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_1_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_1_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"A shooting guard who infuses the court with his energy, Kavanaugh is truly eye-catching as a 3-and-D specialist. In this game against Fenwick, he showcased his range by sinking three triples of the catch. Whenever an opportunity arose for him to take a three-pointer, he was locked and loaded. On the defensive end, Kavanaugh stands out with his dynamic lateral movement and the fearless manner to get in the grill of ball-handlers. As a 2025 prospect, he brings an infectious vibrancy to the game.","_player_evaluations_1_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_2_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"Harper Krolak","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"2024","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"6'2u0022","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"77244","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"St. Patrick","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_2_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_2_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"The 2024 combo guard showcased a versatile skill set for St. Patrick, demonstrating proficiency in various aspects of the game. Despite his position as a guard, he exhibited strong rebounding capabilities. His agility was evident in his ability to swiftly penetrate the lane, where he displayed a finesse in finishing plays, threading passes through tight defensive windows, and drawing multiple fouls that led to opportunities at the free-throw line. Krolak's leadership was apparent throughout the game. He displayed an understanding of when to take advantage of defensive weaknesses and when to exercise restraint, refraining from taking ill-advised shots or forcing difficult passes.","_player_evaluations_2_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_3_player":["1598778"],"_player_evaluations_3_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_3_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_3_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"The 2025 guard put on a show with his three-point ability, demonstrating just how dangerous he can be from long range and how rapidly he can catch fire. In the middle of the second quarter, Macariola drained consecutive threes from the same corner, narrowing Fenwick's deficit to four by halftime. He continued his hot streak by sinking another corner three to kick off the second half, totaling four threes for the game. Macariola's quick release and skill as a catch-and-shoot player are noticeable, and it seems that his shooting sweet spot resides in the corner.","_player_evaluations_3_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":["not_in_db"],"_player_evaluations_4_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_selected_featured_image":"field_62cca28ffa4e7","player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"[player_tooltip player_id='2724288' first='Nathaniel' last='Marshall']","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_player_name":"field_62aba4c9ecf2f","player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"2025","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_graduating_class":"field_62aba4ddecf30","player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"6'5u0022","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_height":"field_62aba4e8ecf31","player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"77245","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_position":"field_62aba4f0ecf32","player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"Fenwick","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_school":"field_62aba4fdecf33","player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details_club_team":"field_62d20e723441a","player_evaluations_4_player_details":"","_player_evaluations_4_player_details":"field_62aba4afecf2e","player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"The 6'5u0022, 270-pound power forward would not go down without a fight. To start off the night, Marshall had two blocks on the first two defensive possessions (the second one was rejected off the backboard). His dominant presence inside the key was a true challenge for St. Patrick. He competed for rebounds on both ends, finished some difficult shots while taking contact, got to the foul line, and even took a charge in the third quarter. An underrated skill of Marshall's, in my opinion, is his passing. He dished out a few slick passes from the high post to low post against St. Patrick's 1-3-1 defense.","_player_evaluations_4_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations_5_player":["2105305"],"_player_evaluations_5_player":"field_62ab9d62ecf2c","player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"","_player_evaluations_5_override_profile_image":"override-player-profile-image","player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"","_player_evaluations_5_not_in_database":"field_62aba48cecf2d","player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"Ducree won my vote for the best defensive performance of the night. From the opening tip, he showcased an aggressive approach, playing tight on-ball defense and picking up his defender full court to mix up his coverages. Additionally, he kept his hands active in the halfcourt, forcing difficult passes and causing deflections. Switching over to the offensive side, Ducree displayed a crisp jumper from 15-20 feet. Moreover, he created two of his own three-pointers—one with a dribble step-back and the other with a shot fake before pulling up.","_player_evaluations_5_evaluation":"field_62aba51aecf34","player_evaluations":6,"_player_evaluations":"field_62aba7547dc44"},"mode":"edit","alignText":"left","anchor":"acf-block-65e0142d35270"} /-->