By Ryan Ostry
Bugle Staff
@RyanOstry_BR18
rostry@buglenewspapers.com
When you think of the reputable and prestigious Joliet Catholic Academy, usually two things come into mind when discussing boys sports — Football and baseball.
Freshman Conor Sukel is helping the young JCA team get through growing pains. (Photo by Ryan Ostry)
Between the football team’s IHSA record of 14 state championships and the baseball team’s five championships since the year 2000, the boys basketball team doesn’t get much recognition.
The current Hilltoppers team sits at 3-17 (0-3 in the East Suburban Basketball Conference) on a season where there have been a number of different growing pains.
Hall of Fame head coach Joe Gura is trying to flip the script on the stigma of JCA basketball however.
“About 20 out of the 20 coaches when I asked about the JCA job said don’t do it because it’s a football and baseball school,” Gura said. “I told them, no when the ball goes up it’s a basketball school, it’s now my job to get us out of the down turn.”
The young Hilltoppers include just three seniors, six juniors, five sophomores and one freshman on the roster.
In the Hilltoppers’ most recent loss to Nazareth Academy, 47-35, it was the teaching lesson of resiliency and perseverance that Gura instilled in his young team.
“We started off the first eight games where we didn’t have football players because of the state championship, and then we had two injuries so we’ve only had a couple practices where we’ve actually had the entire team here,” Gura said. “We could have just died this game where we missed eight, nine or even 10 shots in a row but we never gave up and any point which is what I love.”
One bright spot in the Nazareth Academy game, and on the season, has been freshman guard Conor Sukel (10 pts/ 5 assists).
Sukel is a versatile swingman who can play any of the five positions on the court, with great court instincts while being built like a brick house.
“Believe it or not, Conor had a tumor and cyst on his brain and he had surgery where he was out two or three weeks,” Gura said. “He still came back from that, he sees the floor so well he could be a five or a one, he bands but boy does he understand the game well and that’s very rare for a freshman, the future is unlimited for him.”
Another positive sign from Gura and the JCA program is some of the success at the lower levels.
“The freshman level, the sophomore level are doing fantastic even with a lot of their guys up here on varsity which is so encouraging,” Gura said. “The future is very bright for this program, for JCA and for a lot of these younger players we have here.”
The Hiltoppers will end their season on a five-game road test, starting at 7 p.m. Friday at St. Patrick High School in Chicago.