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Continued growth for Christian Liberty

NORTHEASTERN ATHLETICChristian LibertyCoach: Jed Bennett

Last year: 14-14 overall, 5-4 Northeastern Athletic

Key losses: Sam Silva, Paul Weiss

Top returners: G Jordan Pratscher (6-5 sr.), G Mark Cabrera (5-9 jr.)

Key additions: F James Pittman (6-2 sr.), G Jesse Castro (5-7 soph.)

Outlook: It won't be easy replacing the top two scorers from last year, but coach Jed Bennett is confident his team can grow into a quality team. That's especially true if everyone can follow the growth example set by rang senior guard Jordan Pratscher. He's sprouted from 6-feet-2 to 6-5 for his final year of high school ball. Another key back for this year is Mark Cabrera, who played a sixth-man role last year but we will likely see a more court time this year. Beyond that, everyone else is new to the varsity roster. "The nice thing about last year was we had a pretty obvious starting five - but then there was a pretty clear drop-off when we went deep into the bench," Bennett said. "This year, I don't think that will be the case. We're expecting quality play from our 7, 8, 9 guys too." The roster gets an immediate bump in athleticism from senior James Pittman, who managed the team last year while sitting out athetically after a transfer. He excelled on the football field this fall as the team's quarterback. Another bright spot is sophomore guard Jesse Castro; Bennett thinks he could end up among the team's scoring leaders this year. At the very least, expect Christian Liberty to be more adaptable to what is required to beat a specific opponent. Better depth means the ability to push tempo, and Bennett expect to see his Chargers do some of that this winter. "We'll definitely have the ability to change up our looks," he said. Christian Liberty starts its season with four games in Buffalo Grove's round-robin tournament before hosting a five-team, four-game round robin tourney over Christmas break. That gathering will include North Shore Country Day, Chicago Waldorf, Illinois Lutheran and Freeport Aquin.

- Aaron Gabriel

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