Downers Grove, Il. 12/18/2007- Herrick Middle School (Downers Grove) vs. Marquardt Middle School (Glendale Heights) 7th grade.

As I walked down the stairs leading to the gymnasium at Herrick, I could already hear the crowd buzzing. A friend of mine and Chicagosporting.com scout Dennis Holyn told me that the visiting team from Marquardt had a few good players that he had seen at a previous game. Well you know me. I wanted a chance to see some good players before they got into high school. I wanted to catch them while they are still just a few kids. Just a few kids that aren't distracted by all the rigors of high school life.

Now both schools had good squads. They were well coached and it was a very exciting game. Marquardt pulled it off 36-35. The stands were packed with parents and students from both schools. There was even a very nice cheerleading squad keeping the crowd into it. After the game I had a chance to chat with Marquardt Head Coach Foster. I asked him who his 3 top players were and I got a chance to chat with them. They were all smiles when they realized who I was. That is what I enjoy about the younger kids. They are truly just "happy to be here." They didn't have the huge egos that seem to filter in when they enter High School and beyond. They thanked me over and over for interviewing them and kept asking the same question. "Which website will this be on?" I got a chuckle out of that.

Let me introduce you to the Marquardt 3.

1st off we have #32 Mark Laguna. (far right) He stand 5'6" and weighs in at 105lbs. He plays the guard position and had 10 points on the night. He averages 10 points and 8 rebounds on the season. This kid is a speedster that will take it to the hole in a second.

Next up we have #51 Jeff Levesque. (far left) He stands 5'10" and came in at 150lbs. He plays the forward spot and led all scorers with 13 on the night. He averages 16 points and 10 boards on the season. Jeff made some grown man moves out there and took it the length of the floor a couple of times.

Last but not least we have #52 Eddie "The Big Man" Larry. He had 4 points on the night and averages 6 points and 12 rebounds a game. This guy looked like a man amongst boys out there. I don't know what's on the menu every afternoon over at Marquardt. However, if this is a 7th grader, then I know the high school coaches are drooling awaiting his arrival in a couple of years.

Chicagosporting.com will be checking in on these guys from time to time. These were 3 nice kids who deserve a little time in the spotlight. Ok fellas. Smile Big! You have just been imortalized on the web by Chicagosporting.com

Web Links

Marquardt Middle School http://www.d15.us/schools/mms/index.php

Herrick Jr. H.S. http://www.dg58.org/schools/he/index.htm

Questions or Comments?

Do you know an athlete or team that you would like to see written about?

Sean Cochran

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