Sports
District Rivals Square Off For Regional Supremacy As Bolingbrook Plays Romeoville
District heavyweights collide as Bolingbrook (22-2) and Romeoville (21-6) face each other with a regional championship at stake.
It's apparent that both David and Goliath reside in the Valley View School District.
The Bolingbrook Lady Raiders (22-2) and Romeoville Spartans (21-6) will square off at 7:30 p.m. tonight at Plainfield East High School with bragging rights—and a regional title—on the line.
"We know the pressure's going to come from Bolingbrook and it's not going to let up," Romeoville coach Julio Carrasco said after Tuesday night's win against Lockport. "They're unbelieveable and we're going to have to see what we do."
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Carrasco's team felt a certain amount of pressure Tuesday as it .
Romeoville jumped out to an early lead, but the Porters shot their way back into the contest thanks in part to Gintare Surdokaite's precision shooting from the perimeter.
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Down by a 33-26 margin in the third quarter, the Spartans outscored Lockport 28-11, including a 21-9 run that spanned the game's final eight minutes.
Bolingbrook, meanwhile, had a much easier time dispatching its opponent on Tuesday. . Junior Morgan Tuck scored a season-high 35 points, including 23 in the first half.
Despite having a comfortable margin, Bolingbrook didn't let off the pedal as the Lady Raiders grinded out a strong third quarter to ensure their lead was truly safe.
Head coach Tony Smith said now is not the time to hold anything back.
"In a playoff game, you're one and done. If we're not able to go for 32 minutes, that can come back and bite us," Smith said. "My job as a coach is to make sure we can go for 32 minutes."
For Bolingbrook, getting to the regional championship is just another step toward a third-straight state championship. On the flipside, Romeoville will enter Thursday's showdown with a chip on its shoulder and a lot to prove.
Coming off a 20-loss season, the Spartans have evolved and turned it completely around, winning 20 regular season games and adding an impressive postseason victory.
Carrasco said he knows his team has its work cut out for it, but is up for the challenge nevertheless.
"This has been a great year for us. The seniors have done a tremendous job getting us here, the sophomores are growing up," Carrasco said. "None of us want to leave. We don't want this season to end"
