This is why it's still March Madness

Despite the IHSA expansion that has disappointed many of us who grew up with the boys basketball, we've seen once again this week why high school basketball fans get so excited about this time of year.
My original plan all week was to be at Schaumburg for the 4A regional final. No, that plan did not include watching the latest part of the Schaumburg-Hoffman rivalry. But after the Saxons upset third-seed Fremd and the Hawks upset sixth-seed Zion-Benton, there they were on Friday night fighting for a trip to Waukegan. No, it wasn't pretty, but years from now no one from Schaumburg will care one bit about the latest piece of madness in what has been a wild season. It's amazing how all of a sudden players heat up like Glenn Frost and Javon McDonald did the last couple of games and all of a sudden nets are being cut, pictures are being taken and plans are being made for next week.
Saw a couple of tremendous comebacks this week led by gutsy seniors who refused to let their teams go out early. Kevin Mulligan willed BG to a win over Conant on Tuesday and Joe LaTulip sparked a similar response for Prospect in an overtime win over Niles North.
And when you got word that BG lead top-ranked Waukegan after a quarter and Prospect led powerful New Trier at half you wondered if they could continue the ride. But those dreams eventually came to an end.
They haven't yet for Barrington - and who would have dreamed a regional title possible for a team coming off 7 wins under new coach Bryan Tucker. But the Broncos rallied to knock off a dangerous Streamwood team and now return to where it all started this year - Rockford Boylan and a semifinal against the 24-4 Titans. St. Viator set the school record for wins and won only its third regional title. Now it will try to make the breakthrough to its first sectional final - but a rugged challenge from high-powered North Chicago waits Tuesday at Vernon Hills.
Some of the performances were out of this world - East Aurora junior Ryan Boatright scoring 35 of his 45 points in the fourth quarter and OT of an upset of Neuqua Valley. Benet's David Sobolewski capping a 41-point night with 2 tiebreaking free throws in the final seconds of a win over Downers Grove South.
It's still March Madness - and the best part is there is still more drama to come the next two weeks.