Cary-Grove's two sets of brothers help take down Crystal Lake Central
Cary-Grove has two aces up its sleeve this season. Not only are the Trojans one of just a few senior-heavy Super 25 teams, but they also have the most natural chemistry of any team in the state.
There are two sets of brothers in the regular rotation. Fraternal twins Adam and Brady Bauer are seniors and joined by sophomore Evan Bauer. Senior AJ Berndt, a Carthage College recruit, is Cary-Grove's lead guard and sophomore Jack Berndt contributes off the bench.
“There are times with some brotherly banter going on, but we are all having a blast,” AJ Berndt said. “This is such a cool experience.”
All five players made significant contributions in No. 25 Cary-Grove’s 63-46 win against host Crystal Lake Central on Wednesday.
AJ Berndt led the way with 15 points, and his brother Jack added two points and six rebounds.
Adam Bauer, a 6-7 forward, finished with 14 points and six rebounds. Brady Bauer, a 6-4 forward, added seven points and 6-3 Evan Bauer scored seven points.
“All of us playing together has been awesome,” Adam Bauer said. “We have never been on the same competitive team before, so it is really special. There is a lot of chemistry, obviously, and it has been great for our parents too.”
Cary-Grove (19-2, 9-0 Fox Valley) took control with an 11-2 burst in the third quarter to lead 42-32. But Crystal Lake Central (13-7, 3-6) pulled within five points on a jumper from Sonny Shanahan.
A brother-to-brother connection turned things permanently in the Trojans’ favor. Evan Bauer assisted Adam Bauer in the post to ignite a 14-2 run to close out the game.
“Central has had some rough years but [coach Brian Seaver] has them believing they can beat anybody,” Cary-Grove coach Adam McCloud said. “There are not off nights in our league anymore.”
The Trojans opened eyes when they knocked off Waukegan in November and have been one of the area’s most consistent teams all season.
“We have seven seniors in our nine-man rotation and when push comes to shove there is no flinching,” McCloud said. “We have a senior point guard and guys you can count on. You know they can make a play when you need it.”
Junior Logan Laudadio led Crystal Lake Central with 11 points and four rebounds off the bench. Danny Spychala, a 6-7 junior, finished with 10 points and 11 rebounds.
“At the end we just had too many turnovers,” Seaver said. “We panicked a little bit. You aren’t going to beat anybody giving up wide-open layups. “