advertisement

Obsuszt's Barrington book project a labor of love

When Mike Obsuszt became head basketball coach at Barrington in 1996, he wondered where all the school basketball records were.

"We knew who held the record for points in a game, but that was about it," Obsuszt said.

Obsuszt was able to glean more information about other boys basketball records throughout the next seven years he remained head coach. And even when he was named athletic director in 2003, the thought was never far from his mind.

Obsuszt put thought to paper the past two years and produced a book that was recently released called "The Unofficial History of Barrington High School Boys' Basketball." He said it was a labor of love.

"It was fun," "Obsuszt said. "It started out that I just wanted to get some notes down on paper and stories about basketball happenings in the past. It just became a COVID project that took on a life of its own."

Obsuszt said that he did most of research during the beginning of the COVID outbreak when high school sports were shut down own. He found old season summary reports on basketball teams and went through those.

He also enlisted the help from previous coaches Tom Mooney, Paul Gillette, Marty Dello and current coach Bryan Tucker. He spoke to former athletes from as far back as the 1950s. He also went through old newspaper articles and scrapbooks.

Obsuszt said he also leaned heavily for help from former Daily Herald prep sports writer Marty Maciaszek, who was able to assist with information. Annie Loizzi also helped to format the book.

"The more information I got, the more I jotted down," Obsuszt said. "So, I decided to do a deep dive. It is obviously not a completed work. There are still a lot of stories and history that I didn't have information on. It is a starting point anyway."

When he came up for air, Obsuszt had produced a 75-page book that includes a comprehensive account of each Barrington boys basketball season beginning with the 1947-48 campaign.

"Now there is a documented history in the basketball program," Obsuszt said. "Now, not only is there a documented history, but there are not just scores and stats, but some unique stories along with it."

Obsuszt wanted to remind everyone that this is just a first edition.

"I am sure we missed some big games and some great stories," Obsuszt said. "Or maybe there is stat here or there that is not correct. Hopefully it can be built on in the future."

Obsuszt, who is retiring after the end of the school year after 19 years as athletic director, said this is his gift to the Barrington community.

"it's been great," Obsuszt said. "I have enjoyed every minute of it."

The book is not available for sale as of yet. Obsuszt said that copies have been given out to supporters of the basketball program. Other copies have been reserved for fundraisers for not just the boys' basketball program, but for other nonprofit organizations chosen by the school.

Obsuszt will have some fun with those memories Saturday night. The last team Obsuszt coached, the 2002 Barrington team, will be honored during the Broncos' game against Grant. That 2002 team lost in the supersectional to Highland Park.

Buffalo Grove coach authors book:

Staying on the subject of books, there is new book by Michael DiMatteo, the former head football coach at Buffalo Grove, Lake Zurich and Hinsdale Central. "Confessions of a High School Football Coach," the book describes DiMatteo's 15 years as a Hall of Fame high school coach. It is available on Amazon Books.

Craft having success in Georgia:

Kam Craft has continued his success on the basketball court after leaving Buffalo Grove this past summer. Craft, who now attends Brandon Hall, an elite prep school in Georgia that is associated with the Skill Factory, has picked up a pair of distinctions recently.

Craft hit his 2,000th career point just before Christmas. The Xavier University-bound Craft also picked up another honor this past week when he was named as finalist as the 2022 Southeast nominee to the McDonald's All-American game.

Hersey back on the court:

The long layoff is finally over for the Hersey.

After a 21-day layoff with five games canceled, the Huskies played Tuesday at Maine South and defeated the Hawks 48-40. Before that, the last time Hersey was in a game court was December 21 in a home loss to St. Viator.

Hersey had its annual holiday trip to Pekin canceled due to COVID protocols. Then after the holidays, the Huskies were forced to the sidelines when their scheduled opponents had a similar issue.

There was also another move just before the Maine South game that showed a huge touch of class by the Hawks and their head coach, Tony Lavorato Jr. They honored former head coach Dave Scott before the opening tip. Scott is the father of Hersey head coach Austin Scott.

Elk Grove looking to end losing streak:

It has been prolonged dark road for Elk Grove.

The Grenadiers have not won a Mid-Suburan East game since February 19, 2016. It was the final game of the regular season and Elk Grove won a share of the East title that season.

Little did anyone realize that would be the beginning of a long drought. Since that time, the Grens have lost 52 consecutive conference games. They hope to change their fortune Friday when they play at Wheeling.

  Palatine's Mikey Elter and Hersey's Dylan Carlquist and Max Menninga battle for a rebound in a boys basketball game in Palatine earlier this season. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com
Article Comments
Guidelines: Keep it civil and on topic; no profanity, vulgarity, slurs or personal attacks. People who harass others or joke about tragedies will be blocked. If a comment violates these standards or our terms of service, click the "flag" link in the lower-right corner of the comment box. To find our more, read our FAQ.