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Messer eager for a return engagement at Forest View

Hersey boys basketball coach Steve Messer has fond memories of the last time he was on the court at the old Forest View High School in 1985.

Messer was senior at Hersey then. His Huskies had defeated Prospect in the sectional final in what was to be the last high school basketball game ever played at Forest View. The school closed later that year.

"It all got started there," Messer said. "Forest View was a great place to play and it was always the place they held the sectionals."

It will be the place again this Saturday, when District 214 wraps up the celebration of its Centennial with a full day high school basketball.

All six schools in Dist. 214 will compete Saturday, with both the varisty girls and boys teams playing, with games beginning at 10:30 a.m. and the final game tipping off at 7:15 p.m.

Admission is free to all and concessions will be available.

Prospect will get another chance at Messer and his Huskies, as those two teams will meet at 12:15 p.m.. Wheeling will play Buffalo Grove later that day, and the final game of the evening pits Elk Grove against Rolling Meadows.

Messer took his team back to Forest View last week to practice on the court that is now home to Robert Morris University. Despite the changes to the gym, a flood of memoires came back to Messer.

"The court has changed, and it has been upgraded tremendously," Messer said. "But it was a fun place to play, and I am sure our guys will think so too."

Messer's 1985 team advanced and beat Carmel in the supersectional three days later to advance to the Elite Eight in Champaign. But the season ended in the first game, when the Huskies lost to eventual state champion Mt. Carmel.

"It was great run," Messer said. "Hopefully we can do that again."

The first step may be to win the East. The Huskies lead the division with a 6-1 record. They are followed by Elk Grove (5-2) and then Prospect and Rolling Meadows, both 4-3.

Tight race in West:

Over in the MSL West, it is an even closer race, with four teams still in the title hunt with three games remaining. Barrington and Fremd are tied at 5-2, with Conant and Palatine at 4-3.

Things could get even closer on Friday as Fremd hosts Palatine. Fremd then hosts Barrington the following Friday, and the Vikings close out the season at Hoffman.

After Fremd, Palatine hosts Schaumburg and then Conant. Barrington sandwiches its game against Fremd when it hosts Hoffman and ends the season by hosting Schaumburg.

Conant, which closes the season with Palatine, has Schaumburg and Hoffman the next two weeks.

With the remaining games, it is quite possible that the conference winner could have three losses. There is also a possibility of a three-way tie, which would really throw the conference tiebrakers into overload.

Interest in Ivanauskas: Add Purdue to the growing list of schools to offer a collegiate basketball home to Barrington 6-foot-9 junior Rapolas Ivanauska. The top-rated junior player in Illinois according to one scouting service already had received offers from Creighton, Iowa and Northwestern.

Tourney talk: The Sears Centre in Hoffman Estates is one of the three finalists to host the Class 3A and 4A boys basketball state finals, beginning next season.

Peoria, which is the current host, is also under consideration as well as Assembly Hall at the University of Illinois.

Attendance and interest in the top two divisions in the boys basketball state finals has dwindled in recent years. And with many of the final four teams from Class 3A and 4A located in the greater Chicago area, many observers would welcome a change to possibly provide more fan attendance and interest in the game.

Conant coach Tom McCormack is one who would like to see a switch. But the Hoffman Estates-based coach would not like it to be on the West side of his town.

"The Sears Centre is a great venue," McCormack said. "And for fans, the sight lines are tremendous. From that aspect it is really good.

"But having been on the floor in Champaign, there is nothing like walking out that tunnel. To me, that would be the ultimate."

McCormack took his 1994 team to Champaign under the old two-class system, where the Cougars fell to Lyons in a quarterfinal matchup.

District 214 Centennial Classic

All games at Robert Morris University (formerly Forest View High School).

10:30 a.m. - Girls, Prospect vs. Hersey

12:15 p.m. - Boys, Prospect vs. Hersey

2 p.m. - Girls, Buffalo Grove vs. Wheeling

3:45 p.m. - Boys, Buffalo Grove vs. Wheeling

5:30 p.m. - Girls, Elk Grove vs. Rolling Meadows

7:15 p.m. -Boys, Elk Grove vs. Rolling Meadows

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