Doings Article Hinsdale Central vs Hinsdale South

Central gets better of South in tripleheader
GEORGE M. WILCOX gwilcox@pioneerlocal.com   
Published: April 28, 2011

Red Devils win in baseball, soccer, Hornets win in softball

 Andi Dunning and Maddy Matura are currently teammates, but could be rivals some day as they watched their future high school softball teams April 21.

 Dunning and Matura are seventh-grade students playing for the Burr Ridge-Willowbrook Blast, but were among 34 other players from their program to watch the annual showdown between Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South in what was billed as "Thursday Night Lights" at Benedictine University in Lisle.

The softball squads between both schools were one-third of a feature attraction, which also included a baseball game and girls soccer game between the District 86 schools. Hinsdale Central won two of the three contests Thursday night. Dunning, a student at Gower Middle School in Burr Ridge, could imagine herself in a Hornets uniform someday while watching a Hinsdale South game for the first time.

The softball squads between both schools were one-third of a feature attraction, which also included a baseball game and girls soccer game between the District 86 schools. Hinsdale Central won two of the three contests Thursday night. Dunning, a student at Gower Middle School in Burr Ridge, could imagine herself in a Hornets uniform someday while watching a Hinsdale South game for the first time.

"I'd probably play," Dunning said. "It's fun; to have all that attention on you."

Matura, who attends Hinsdale Middle School, enjoyed the camaraderie of her teammates. She attended the game with another current teammate and possible future Red Devils player, Katie Grant.

"We do a lot of stuff (together). As teammates, were are playing in a tournament in Wisconsin in July," Matura said.

The evening event was also attended for the first time by parents of freshman players from each team. John Andree of Darien watched as his daughter, Jessica, started for Hinsdale South's softball team while Lauren Glenn of Hinsdale had a front-row seat in the football stadium to watch her daughter, Riley, play goalkeeper for the Red Devils.

According to each parent, their daughters have been looking to play under the lights at Benedictine since the season began.

"She was really excited," John Andree said. "She couldn't wait to play under the lights. She said, 'I want to play under the lights. I want to play under the lights.' "

Laura Glenn said Riley made sure that her mother had a ticket for the event, which was held on an unusually cold evening compared to the previous three years the event has been held.

"They have been hyping it at school for a long time," Laura Glenn said. "Riley said, 'They have tickets at school.' She made a big deal about it because it was Hinsdale Central vs. Hinsdale South."

Cheryl Beesley, the mother of Hinsdale South's Sean Beesley, watched the baseball game from the top level of the football stadium next door.

She attended her third Benedictine tripleheader after watching her son Jake graduate from last year's baseball team.

"I didn't want (Sean) to see me filming. I thought it would make him nervous," Cheryl said about her remote view. One other viewer from the top of the football stadium was Benedictine baseball coach Dave Swanson, who scouted the game.

"With a beautiful complex, I like to stick around and watch," said Swanson, whose team practiced before the game. "It's a unique experience for the kids to play at a beautiful facility. We've been doing this over the years."

The father of Hinsdale Central baseball player Matt Owen watched his senior son for the final time at Benedictine. "He was on the varsity last year, but we have a tradition where the freshmen and sophomores watch the game," said Jeremy Owen. "It's great (being here). I don't know what we'll do without high school baseball next year."