After a nail-biting 66-58 win against arch rival Downer's Grove South on their Senior Night, and a decisive victory against West Chicago in the York Regional quarterfinal game, the Leyden Eagles take a team that managed 17 wins after losing star Alex Herrera and Brian McNamara to graduation the year prior to face Bartlett. A team that struggled to find its identity early on has relied on hustle, intangibles, and effort to eke out victories. Solid bench scoring and tight defense have kept the Eagles ahead of their bigger, faster, stronger, and more experienced opponents.
This game is important for each and every senior on Leyden's roster, but it will be a mental and physical test for Junior guard Aaron Wigham, who made solid contributions to Leyden's Conference Champion football team, as a fullback, and saw their storybook season end in heartbreaking loss to, guess who? Bartlett. If you're making any bets on this game, it would be safe one to assume that Leyden is going to come out hot, and feed off of the energy bring their raucous crowd with them. Boosted by their football and wrestling counterparts, the basketball boys will have plenty of motivation to beat their new-found playoff foe and advance to a Regional Championship game.
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