Fremd opens with win over Warren
OK, they are not quite the twin towers. But Fremd's Hopkins brothers both stand 6-foot-5. Maybe that that's where comparison ends. Bryce Hopkins is the senior and he's content being an outside threat with a 3-point shot. His younger brother, Kayman, is there to grab rebounds and score inside.
This Fremd team bears watching this winter. In addition to the brothers, it has a collection of 3-point shooters. One of them is senior John Smyros.
"We have five guys who can hit the threes,'' Smyros said on Monday night. "We have a lot of experience coming back."
Fremd opened up its season against Warren in the opening game of the Mundelein Thanksgiving Tournament. The Vikings stormed to a quick 17-6 first quarter lead. And then the young Warren squad cut that lead to 21-17 by halftime.
Speaking of 3-pointers, Jake Schoffstall hit three of them in the second half as Fremd notched a 61-48 win over the Blue Devils.
"We only have a couple of players with varsity experience,'' said Warren coach Jon Jasnoch. "Some of my players are still banged up from football. But tonight, Fremd did a lot of things well."
Bryce Hopkins (12 points) had the game's first two 3-pointers and the Vikings struck early at 10-2. Hopkins also tipped his hat toward Warren,
"They didn't give up,'' he said.
While Fremd struggled to score in the second quarter, Warren (0-1), got a 5-point outburst from Sawyer Shake and finally a bank shot from Cole Thompson to cut that lead to 21-17 at the break.
"Our defense kind of broke down in that quarter,'' Bryce Hopkins said.
A fastbreak layup from Alexander Manoui brought Warren within a hoop at 23-21 early in the third quarter. That's when Kayman Hopkins got to the basket. On back-to-back rebound buckets, the Fremd lead grew. Add the first of Schoffstall's 3-pointers and another one from Tim Carlisle and the Fremd lead was safe at 39-30.
Warren seemed to struggle at the free throw line in the third quarter. And the threesome of Bryce Hopkins, Schoffstall and Dean Ganas completed 6 in a row from the stripe.
Warren's Shrake hit a pair of 3s in the final quarter, cutting the double-digit Fremd lead to just 6. But that was just when Schoffstall was getting warmed up from long distance.
Schoffstall led all scorers with 21 points. The Hopkins brothers combined for 20. Bryce had 12 of those. Smyros added 13 to the Fremd victory.
"We have big expectations this year,'' Smyros added. "We just need to keep playing hard."