Big finish for Gorecki's tale of achievement at Fremd
This is truly the way you like to see the stars of girls basketball end their high school playing days.
In the final chapter of Haley Gorecki's storybook prep career, the Fremd senior has landed in the state finals for the first time.
Gorecki will take the floor Friday night at Illinois State's Redbird Arena as the captain of the Daily Herald's Northwest all-area team.
The Duke recruit is also Fremd's second all-time leading scorer with 2,127 points.
She leads a Vikings program that hasn't played in the final four since 1977, the first year the tournament was played.
"It's crazy," Gorecki said. "It's great to make a statement like this for our school which has had so many great players in the past. And to do it for our fans and our community. It's awesome."
Gorecki is now one of those great players in Fremd girls basketball history.
And who knows, if not for Chicago's cold weather in October and November, Gorecki's name may have been better known for another sport.
"I'll be honest," said her father, Adam. "Her first love was soccer. Basketball was her second choice. When she asked us (Adam and his wife, Denise), she always asked if she didn't like basketball, would we let her go back to soccer. But she loved basketball."
Haley did not exactly fall in love with the cooler fall weather during the AAU soccer season.
"Illinois is so cold," Adam said. "Playing outdoor sports in October and November we'd be watching in hats, gloves and she's out there in shorts. I said to my wife, 'This is ridiculous.' "
"Sometimes there would even be snow," Haley said.
And Haley's highly competitive nature was not completely satisfied.
"It was sometimes frustrating to get a quality team because you had a lot of teams and you need a lot of players for soccer," he said. "She (Haley) couldn't play at the level she wanted. It was easier to find competitive basketball where you need only five players, plus you are indoors."
So Gorecki, who was a midfielder/striker, went from firing shots into the back of the net, to tossing shots through the net.
She dedicated herself to basketball, and the rest is history - in the making.
Only 2001 graduate Maggie Fontana, who went on to play for Holy Cross, scored more points for Fremd. Fontana finished with more than 2,500 under Hall of Fame coach Carol Plodzien.
Like Fontana, Gorecki made her first start as a freshman and helped the Vikes win 22, 26, 27 and now a school-record 28 games this season.
"I never imagined this," said Gorecki. "It's been the players and the coaches, honestly, who have been the biggest help in the world. It's really working with coach (Dave) Yates for four years. He's an awesome coach and has helped so much.
"The people that really inspired me to be the player I am today are my coaches. They really made me who I am today and I wouldn't be where I am without them. Starting with John Ulrich, Mary Kay Monaghan, Mike Sherkey, Tom Hohenadel, Dennis Kessel, Ralph Gesualdo, Mr. (Dave) Yates and, of course, my parents."
It also didn't hurt Haley's competitiveness growing up with older brother Adam, now studying at Illinois State. He was a 6-foot-5 center for Fremd's boys team.
"We grew up playing against each other in any sport." said Haley, whose older sister Brittany graduated from Illinois. "When he finally got too tall for me, we stopped playing basketball."
Of course, Haley is hardly finished with basketball.
After this weekend's state finals, the next stop is Duke University.
"Haley will leave Fremd as the most decorated girls basketball player in Fremd history," Yates said. "Her consistency has been amazing the last three years. When she puts her uniform on you can almost guarantee 20 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals."