NILES, Illinois — As has become customary for the Northridge varsity basketball squad, the Knights will tip-off the 2024-25 season inside "The Dungeon" this Tuesday at the 20th annual "Battle at the Ridge" Thanksgiving tournament. The maroon and gold will square off with the Vernon Hills Cougars in a rematch of last year's championship game.
Looking to defend the Knights' tournament title from last season is a seasoned group of senior veterans. The Knights boast seven seniors on the roster. Three-year varsity players Evan Kataoka and Bo Arnold, along with their fellow seniors will return motivated after ending last season with a sour taste in their mouths after falling in a heartbreaking regional championship game to Montini Catholic.
Along with Kataoka and Arnold, the Knights feature fellow seniors Jacob Klatt, Linus Coleman, Nelson Goodrich, Mark Scherer and Eddie Seuffert — all of whom have played minutes at the varsity level prior to this season. It is that exact experience that head coach Will Rey is counting on to carry on the team through a grueling schedule.
"In my 20 years at Northridge we've never had seven returning seniors who played in our rotation as juniors. Two of those seniors were also in our rotation as sophomores," Rey said. "So, experience is clearly a strength of ours. With that experience comes the opportunity for us to do a few more things both defensively and offensively. That said, however, our guys understand that each team is different from the previous year and it's their responsibility to establish their identity and qualities that are going to define them. In team sports there are no guarantees or automatics. It's up to us to set the course for this season and determine for ourselves who we will become and what we can accomplish. That's what makes competitive team sports challenging as well as exciting."
Rey and his program have established a well-known winning culture in his 20 years at the helm, with defense at the center of every effort. As expected, that strategy won't change this season.
"We've always taken a "Defense-First" approach at Northridge," he said. "We believe that hard work and togetherness are what separate teams from their opponents — and hard work and togetherness best manifest themselves on the defensive end of the court. Our motto has always been "Defense Wins Championships." Our championship tradition has been forged that way. Last year, we pressed every possession of every game and we plan to do the same thing this year. If we out-work our opponents and get stops defensively, everything else will take care of itself. As they say, offense sells tickets but defense and rebounding win championships. That's been the Northridge Way for as long as we've been here."
Following the "Battle at the Ridge" tournament, in addition to Independent School League competition, the Knights schedule features a gauntlet of tough non-conference matchups. Non-league opponents on tap for Northridge include Rockford Lutheran (Dec. 7), Leo (Jan. 18, @ Timothy Christian), IC Catholic (Jan. 29), @ Niles Notre Dame (Feb. 4), and @ Montini Catholic (Feb. 8) — a rematch of last season's regional championship game.
In addition, the Knights will play two out of state opponents this season. On Dec. 21, Northridge will welcome Mt. Vernon (IA) across Illinois' western border. On Feb. 1, the Knights will travel north of the border to Wisconsin to take on St. Joseph (WI).
On Jan. 25, for a second straight year, the Knights will compete in the Eric Ottens Shootout at Fulton High School, where they will take on South Beloit High School.
New this season at Northridge is an enhanced, cashless ticketing system. Northridge has partnered with GoFan to offer a seamless ticketing experience that can be fully completed on your smartphone. Fans can find tickets for all upcoming Northridge basketball events at this link.
Single-day passes for this year's "Battle at the Ridge" Thanksgiving tournament are $5, and can be purchased on GoFan.
